Serving Justice
by LeoGryffin
Summary: Hermione's darkest moment and unexpected decision gives Severus and friends an opportunity to defeat Voldemort. Secrets revealed, and leaps of faith, bring the most unexpected justice for all. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I in no way own these characters; the Goddess J.K. Rowling invented them. I'm just playing with them while I await the Goddess' next tome. Also disclaiming: Various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: This story has dark moments and some adult situations, which warranted the PG-13 rating. Please, please read and review! I'll be forever grateful!

A/N 2: Now that this fic is complete, I've dreamed up a sequel. If you decide you like it, stay tuned!

A/N 3: Yeah, there's some fluff. I'm a Gryffindor. What can I say?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Well, well. What have we here, hmmm?"

"Draco." She wasn't sure why she was so nervous, seeing him here on late-night rounds like every other night the past school year, but something she could see in his eye in the dimness made her slightly queasy. "Are you quite finished with your rounds? I'll be seeing you, then…"

"I don't think so. I think you'll be staying right here, Granger." He leered menacingly at her, and seemed to be more than a little drunk. End-of-exams party in the Slytherin Common Room, no doubt; there was likely one going on in Gryffindor Tower as well.

"I'm tired, it's late Draco. I will see you at the Leaving Feast." The Head Girl turned to walk away from the Head Boy for the last time, but then his hands were on her waist, pulling her back towards him. 

"This isn't funny, Malfoy. Good night."

"No. Not good night." He grabbed her hair and dragged her into the deserted classroom. "I've bloody well earned this, having to endure you and your idiot friends all year, and I will have you right now, Mudblood. You know you want it."

Hermione Granger screamed before Draco Malfoy drew his wand and uttered in a cold voice, "_Silencio_". Mrs. Norris heard the muffled cry, but her feline mind registered that the Head Boy had been in the area and could handle whatever had happened. She had a date with a juicy rat, anyway.

*~*

Early in the morning of the last day of school, the Fat Lady registered surprise as a very sullen, rather red-eyed Gryffindor woke her up and mumbled the password (Ice Fairies). Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, the Fat Lady opened the portrait hole without a word. Once Miss Granger was inside, the portrait's occupant immediately summoned Sir Nicholas, who went straight to Minerva McGonagall, Hermione's head of house. By the time Professor McGonagall had made her way up to the dormitories, Hermione was gone. The Fat Lady had watched her leave, powerless to stop her with entreaties to wait until McGonagall could arrive.

*~*

"Harry Potter! Wake up this instant," Professor McGonagall hissed in the seventeen-year-old erstwhile hero's ear.

"Professor," he mumbled almost incoherently, "What time…"

"I need your bloody map. Hermione is missing."

Harry was immediately awake and fumbling in his trunk. He retrieved the map, and in the process awakened two of his dorm-mates, Ron Weasley and Dean Thomas. "What's going on?" Ron asked sleepily.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," Harry said in way of reply. The Marauder's Map sprung to life, showing the nocturnal movements of all in the immediate Hogwarts area. "There she is!" The dot labeled Hermione Granger was rapidly retreating towards the Forbidden Forest. 

"Get on your broom, Harry. I am afraid something dreadful may have happened to her tonight, from the reports I have received." Minerva opened the normally magically locked and bolted large windows, and Harry squeezed out into the night on his Firebolt, map clutched in hand. He could tell she was headed towards the Shrieking Shack through their secret passageway, so he headed in that direction. When he arrived, he went to the entrance to await her. But the door was already open. _Too damn late, _he realized, and of course the map would not be of use here. She was gone into the night, and there was little he could do other than execute a futile search pattern.

He knew she was an unregistered Animagus – she became a black cat when she transformed, and only a few other people knew of her secret -- and in any case, she had passed her Apparition licensing exam without problems, so the search was pointless. After a few flybys of the surrounding area, Harry flew back to Hogwarts, feeling as bleak as he had felt since Cedric died and Voldemort returned in their fourth year. What had driven her to run away without even a word to her best friends?

As dawn broke, the entirety of the graduating seventh year Hogwarts class, along with Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, were huddled in Dumbledore's office discussing the situation. None of the Gryffindors would stand to be left behind when their friend was missing, so McGonagall marched them all down to the office. Snape had been called in because he was the Head of House for the Head Boy, and they needed him to be up to speed before they called in Draco Malfoy to ask him about rounds and when he might have last seen Hermione. The two hadn't exactly been friends over the year that they had been Head Boy and Girl, but they had been fairly professional and mature with each other as everyone had hoped. Dumbledore had really wanted to name a Slytherin and a Gryffindor to the posts, in the ongoing effort to foster good relations and help keep as many Slytherins from going to the Dark Lord as possible. The professors had their reasons for deciding on Malfoy; that left Granger as the obvious choice from Gryffindor. It had really worked out very well, and had left Harry, who everyone had assumed would be Head Boy, to work quietly with his professors on the war against Voldemort.

"I never even heard her come in," Parvati Patil was saying as Snape entered the room.

"May I ask why I've been called here at this early hour to what certainly appears to be a Gryffindor house meeting?" Snape was rather irked at the curt summons he had received. It had been a late night, grading end-of-term exams for idiotic second and third years, and he was really not a morning person anyway. Come to think of it, there probably wasn't a time of day that suited him well enough.

Before anyone could answer, he continued in his usual ill-tempered fashion. "I see Miss Granger isn't here. Don't tell me. You're planning some ridiculous 'Best Student To Ever Go To Hogwarts' award and you want me to contribute something to it. Well I won't ever, EVER do you hear me, help you out with this one." As he turned to leave the room, Albus stilled him with a well-chosen phrase.

"Miss Granger has disappeared, and we'd like your help – and the help of our Head Boy – in locating her."


	2. Chapter 2

With sudden, sickening clarity, a few things about the previous night made terrible sense to Severus Snape. The Bloody Baron had dropped in unexpectedly around midnight while Severus was grading those woeful exams, to let him know that Draco was rather late in coming back from rounds. At first, Snape wasn't terribly concerned, but asked the Baron to inform him when Malfoy was back. He didn't hear from the Baron until 2:30 in the morning, and had resolved to take a few points off the boy for not setting a better example. It was the last day of the year, but not a good time to let your guard down.

"When was she last seen, Headmaster?" All of his sour temper melted away in concern for the girl…er…the situation, he reminded himself. Harry noticed the change in Snape's demeanor, but said nothing.

"The Fat Lady reported her returning to Gryffindor Tower at 2:30, and she was last seen on the map – you know, the map Harry has that was created by his father and friends – at 3 am, leaving the grounds and entering Hogsmeade. The trail has been cold since."

"She and Draco normally finish late night rounds at 10:30. Where had she been those four hours? Did anyone speak to her? Why didn't the blasted Fat Lady report her missing before that?"

"The Fat Lady isn't to blame, Severus. She went to sleep early since all the students were inside celebrating, poor dear, and was awakened by Miss Granger's early morning return. By the time Minerva was alerted, Hermione was gone. Harry went after her, but came back empty handed. You know the girl is capable of Apparating, among other things. She does not wish to be found."

"This is a dangerous world to be out alone in, like this." Snape was seething. When he got his hands on Malfoy, the boy was going to wish _he_ was out in the world alone and away from the wrath of the Great Snake of Slytherin.

"Well, naturally these children are on the cusp of becoming adults, and they're going out into this world well prepared, I trust," Albus said. "However, at this moment, Miss Granger still is in our care, and her disappearance is our problem. I will alert her parents now, but I wanted to speak to the Malfoy boy first before I do anything else. Perhaps he may have a clue why she left, as he was undoubtedly the last person to see her."

"Oh, I have no doubt. You see, Malfoy also returned at 2:30 to the Slytherin dormitories. The Bloody Baron told me."

There were shocked gasps and Ron jumped up. "That no-good, dirty, rotten Malfoy. I am so going to kill that bastard."

"Oh, calm down, Ron," Harry said. "For all we know the two of them are having an illicit love affair and stayed out late, right?" He knew that would upset Ron, but it was true that they hadn't talked to Hermione much in the previous weeks as they'd all been cramming for exams and writing papers. Maybe she'd fallen in love with the awful git. Who knew?

"I don't think so," Minerva said wearily. "The Fat Lady reported that Hermione had clearly been crying, she seemed to be somewhat bent over as if in pain, and that she was sure she saw a bruise on her cheek. I think there is a possibility our Miss Granger has met with some foul play." She gave a very pointed look at Severus, who turned and stalked out of the room.

*~*

Hermione smiled, and kneeled at the ancient woman's feet. She looked apprehensively up at the wizened face holding a rosary above her head. "Sister Mary Rebecca, arise. You are now protected by the Sisters of the Order of Benevolent Light, and will be one with us wherever you go. May your sins be forgiven and your wounds healed, in the names of the Father of Creation, the Son of God, and the eternal Holy Spirit. Come with us and do God's work." As she made her way to the Mother Superior's rooms, Hermione's smile grew somewhat pained as she remembered the events of the previous night. "Sister Mary Rebecca, today I would like to assign you to substitute for the ailing Sister Susanne in the nursery-age class at our school, before you get settled in and we find a permanent place for you. I know with your education you will do fine, and no one needs to know further what that education entails. Welcome."

She had known when she arrived on the steps of the convent that several of the nuns were witches who had renounced the wizarding world. _Pays to keep up on your reading in the Restricted Section_, she mused to herself. It was a real honest-to-God Catholic convent, and most of the nuns weren't even the least bit aware of the witches in their midst. The elderly but keenly sharp Mother Superior was not a witch herself, but was well aware that her order attracted disaffected witches from time to time that had been hurt in some way by the world they left behind. She offered sanctuary and a chance for these women to live in anonymity within the convent's walls. Every once in a while, someone came looking for a witch who had disappeared. The Mother Superior's right hand, Sister Sylvia Sickle, always managed to put a memory charm on them and send them on their way before they found what they were after. In fair exchange for providing a safe place for these bright and disaffected witches, the Mother Superior's school was renowned for its top-notch educational opportunities in a very poor region of Ireland. The witches that renounced the wizarding world were often among the brightest women she'd ever known, and were the ones who chafed under the male dominance that seemed rampant in their society. A "miracle", like a simple crop circle, now and then kept everyone in the region in need of the nuns' guidance, the Irish Ministry of Magic looked the other way, and no one was the wiser.

*~*

Severus Snape had Draco Malfoy pinned against the Slytherin Common Room wall, his eyes glittering dangerously as he whispered in his face. "What did you do to Granger, you stupid young fool?"

"Nothing she didn't deserve…or want, very deep down. It was delicious." Draco sneered and stared right into Snape's eyes. "You don't frighten me, Snape. I have graduated, or haven't you forgotten? You'll be standing next to me in the circle in a week. What do you care what happened to the Mudblood whore, anyway? Did you want a turn? She's rather susceptible to pain as a motivator…"

"I care, you idiot, because if I don't care it will create suspicion with Dumbledore. What the hell is the matter with you? You know how important it is that I stay close to that old fool, and now you've put me in the position of defending that blasted Granger's Gryffindor honor. How could you be so stupid? Couldn't you have waited one more day and controlled your baser urges?" Snape spat out these words that mostly couldn't have been further from the real truth, but were quite necessary to keep up the charade that he was a brilliantly loyal Death Eater just waiting for the right time to being Dumbledore's head on a platter to Voldemort. It was all too easy to put Malfoy in his place for the crime in this way, but he really wanted to kill him where he stood for attacking Granger. He was sure the boy had followed in his disgusting rapist father's footsteps, and the thought of it happening to that fairly annoying, but extremely bright girl – no, woman – who had attended his classes since her childhood bothered him enormously. Probably too much, if he had cared to examine it closely.

"I went to great lengths to get you named Head Boy, and you have put me in a terrible position. Dumbledore will ask questions, and I won't be able to protect you." 

The smile on Draco's face faltered, and he said, "My father will protect me if you're too weak. So I raped a Mudblood. It's nothing he…or you, for that matter…haven't done in the past. I've learned from the masters."

"It has nothing to do with weakness, you imbecile. Your father will say the same thing. What you did, you should never have done when you could have been held accountable by Dumbledore, by the sodding Ministry. Idiot, idiot boy. You'll see. Your father cannot help you now."

The last bit of color drained from Malfoy's face. "It won't matter what Dumbledore does," Malfoy said a little too loudly, as if he could muster bravado from the depths. "I will be a Death Eater in a week's time and do this sort of thing every day of the week."

"Your timing may have prevented you from even joining the ranks of the Death Eaters, you insufferably stupid twit. If you're sitting in a cell at Azkaban with a rape sentence, you certainly won't be next to you friends Crabbe and Goyle in line waiting to receive the Mark." He allowed his words to sink in, reveling in the terror in the boy's eyes. Then he released Draco and headed for the door. Wild-eyed, Draco had no one to turn to and fled up the stairs to his dormitory to pack. He couldn't wait to get away. Just one more day.


	3. Chapter 3

Severus sat down in the Headmaster's office, and buried his head in his hands. "Draco raped her, and hurt her…possibly used the Cruciatus, I don't know that for sure. He admitted the rape to me. It puts us in an interesting position, but even Lucius wouldn't dare defend him since the idiot boy did it at Hogwarts."

"This is very unfortunate, Severus. I know you had intended to try and save the boy from becoming a Death Eater, but not like this. However, you know this presents an opportunity we can ill afford to miss."

"I don't know that he's redeemable, honestly. But he may yet become a Death Eater. If we don't find Miss Granger before the students leave, there won't be anyone to testify against him; he may get off, and there's nothing we can do about that under wizarding law."

"Then, there is no other course of action. We must find Hermione Granger, even if she doesn't wish to be found. This boy has done at least one of the things we consider most unforgivable, and we've potentially lost one of the most promising minds in a century because of it. We need her to help us win this war, and we need certainly don't need Draco to enter it against us. Let us proceed."

Minerva spoke up. "Her parents haven't seen her, and are understandably frantic. They have…called, that's the Muggle term, right?…called any old friends or relatives, but have come up blank."

"She is probably slinking around somewhere in her Animagus form," Severus said.

"I would know if that were the case; I asked around of the other felines in Hogsmeade, and no one has seen her." Minerva spoke tabby, after all, and cats had an odd way of knowing about other cats' whereabouts.

Albus cleared his throat. "She could be anywhere, of course; but I have a theory. I asked Madam Pince for a record of the last few things Hermione had checked out from the library to confirm my thoughts. One of the books she checked out is not accounted for in her dormitory or in the library. It is a book entitled 'Mystical Hideouts: Where to Go when the Worst Has Happened.' It's rubbish, really, and something I wouldn't expect Miss Granger to read unless she was bound and determined to read every single book in the library. But there is a mystical hideout that I believe would have been quite appealing to her in this case, and I suggest we start there."

Severus's eyes narrowed. "What is this place, and why aren't we there right now?"

"You're very anxious. I think I'll let you take the job, then, Severus." The older man let a smile tug at his lips for a moment, even given the gravity of the situation.

"I'm on my way. Where am I headed?" Snape was surprising himself. He told himself that it was a desire to put Malfoy in Azkaban, and nothing more, that was making him go out of his way to find this Gryffindor.

"A convent in Ireland."

Severus sputtered. "A ruddy convent? I take it back. Minerva, she's in _your_ house."

"Oh, no, Severus," Minerva said icily, "your student drove her there. You'd best be on your way post haste."

"Don't worry, Severus," Albus replied mildly. "I will happily go on this errand with you. The Mother Superior there and I have an old acquaintance that I think it's past time to renew." 

*~*

"Albus Dumbledore. This is an unexpected pleasure." The Mother Superior knew Albus well, mainly because he was the only person she spoke to when a witch wanted to re-enter the wizarding world after time spent at the convent. She would never, ever give them away without their permission, however. Over the years, several of the British witches had become wistful for their former lives, and had chosen to return. The Mother Superior always contacted Dumbledore to make the arrangements, rather than deal directly with the red tape at the British Ministry (shuddering horrors, having to deal with that imbecile Fudge, and the line of nitwits that had preceded him in the high post.)

"Charming to see you, as always, Mother. Let me present my associate, Professor Snape."

"Professor." Her eyes narrowed, briefly. The Mother Superior was not a witch, but was a keen student of human nature. She could see a great deal of pain and sacrifice on this one's face, and a good deal of the pain was in his eyes right now. "Do have a seat. To what do I owe the honor of this visit? I haven't contacted you about anyone recently."

"I know you are not in the business of divulging the identity of those from my part of the world that end up on your doorstep, but in this case, I beg you to make an exception. The fate of our world is in her hands, even though she's not currently aware of the fact. She's a hurt child, and I would never force her away from here if she could not bear to return, but I must speak to her."

"Albus. You know I cannot break the trust of God and my sisterhood. I cannot tell you if I have this girl among us."

"You _must_, Mother Superior. This is an unusual case. We must speak with her. You know me well enough to know that I will not cause any difficulties for her. She may not realize the implications of what has happened in the wake of her departure."

"The little ones who come to my door, they all could say that they aren't aware of implications. Families destroyed. Lives overturned. The witches coming here are committing suicide as far as their world is concerned, but usually there is a very good reason for it. You'll have to do better than that to convince me to break a centuries-long tradition of providing a completely safe haven for refugees from your world." The Mother Superior knew they must be talking of her newest arrival, who was off changing nappies and singing songs with one and two year olds. The girl had only been there one morning, but it had become clear immediately that she was very bright and had been incredibly hurt. It didn't take a crystal ball to know that she probably had been raped and was in the aftermath of dealing with it, but part of the bargain at the convent was "Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies."

"Listen, you overgrown penguin," Severus's patience was at an end, "Is the Granger girl here or not? I don't have time to play psuedo-religious niceties while one of my students runs away from her duty and another runs right into the arms of the Dark Lord. Lives are at stake, and I have no patience for your idiotic rules of engagement here. Let us have the girl, and we'll be on our way."

"Dumbledore, you didn't tell me your associate had such a blasphemous temper," She couldn't hide her amusement at his outrage, but Dumbledore was secretly glad Snape had said it. In his experience, she could be insufferably prissy about the witches under her care, and while she performed a service for those women, it didn't come without cost for them. Running away from your problems never solved them. Hermione was hurt, but deep down she was stronger than this. Fortunately for the two men, the Mother Superior was well aware of this. She made a decision against her better judgment.

"All right. Extraordinary circumstances call for unusual actions, but don't think you can call this favor in again, Albus. I will tell the girl you are here, and let her make the choice. If she agrees, you can see her. If she doesn't, you'll need to go on your way, and don't make me have to have Sister Sylvia wave her wand at you." She wasn't sure why she had agreed in this instance when no one else had ever been able to break her down, but she knew Albus Dumbledore well enough to know that he wouldn't be here on a fool's errand. Good Lord, _especially_ in the company of that bat of a man, Professor Snape. Hell's bells, that girl probably ran away just to get away from that frightening vampire. She left the room, and after making sure they weren't following, wandered down to the nursery school.


	4. Chapter 4

"No. I cannot face Dumbledore. I am finished with that life." Hermione sounded quite final on the matter.

"I will have to chase them away, you know, and they claim the fate of the wizarding world is in your hands."

"Sod the wizarding world! They've been no great help to me!"

"Child," she said gently, "I know you are angry and hurt and believe me, we will protect you at all costs here. But, I also know Albus Dumbledore. He would not be here if it wasn't critically important. I think you should at least meet with him."

"I can't face him. I…just can't. You'll have to express my regrets. Maybe some other time."

"He's with a Professor Snape. What about him?" the Mother Superior asked doubtfully.

Hermione's cheeks flared pink with hot shame. If Snape was here, that means they all must know about what happened. It was the only explanation. "I don't know if you got a sense of him, Mother, but he's not exactly a warm and fuzzy Father Confessor if you catch my drift."

"I gathered that. So, you wish me to tell them to leave?"

Hermione refused to be defeated, but one last act of defiance against the magical world on her part wouldn't kill her. "I'll talk to Snape. Not Dumbledore." 

Dumbledore would make her feel terrible about leaving and tug at her heart like a kindly grandfather, saying all the right things. But Snape hadn't a kind bone in his body. This would be very easy. She could lash out at Snape for the sins of his student, and tell them all to go away. She was incredibly hurt and angry, and Snape was a perfect target. She couldn't believe they'd come chasing all this way to try and drag her back, but she'd make sure they knew she was done with wizards and the war and the whole nonsense, so they'd leave her alone. Alone. Her life's destiny in one word. It sounded delicious after the events of the previous night.

*~*

"She'll see you, Professor Snape. Albus, I'm sorry, but she's not interested in talking to you."

A dark eyebrow shot up. "What on earth is wrong with that girl? Me? She despises me, as well she probably should."

"Oh, Severus," Albus said with a tiny smile of understanding and not a trace of surprise, "I think she knows I would convince her to return. She's certainly counting on you to remind her of why she won't."

Snape gave Dumbledore a dark look, but said nothing as he followed the Mother Superior's beckon.

Hermione's eyes were on fire as the door closed behind Snape in the deserted classroom next to the nursery. The Mother Superior wagged a long bony finger, "Ten minutes," as she departed. She'd seen the spiteful look on Sister Mary Rebecca's face, and she'd likely have to rescue the poor dolt soon enough.

"Explain yourself, Miss Granger." He really wasn't sure what to say to the girl. It was truly comical, looking at her dressed in a nun's habit, the evidence of a morning spent with a bunch of little brats all over her shoulders and front.

"I would think it's patently obvious. I'm finished with the magical world and the wizards within it. And don't tell me you have no idea why I left."

"I know exactly why you left, Miss Granger. But you are choosing the cowardly way out, rather than face down your adversary and make him pay for his crime."

Her anger was growing by the second. "Make him _pay_? You're saying that Lucius Malfoy would allow his son to _pay_ for doing what Lucius himself probably does 3 times a week? I am the bloody victim of that Junior Death Eater, and I know perfectly well there is no recourse. And calling me cowardly? You have a lot of nerve, Professor Snape. I am hurt and scared and frankly, I don't have any wish to be a part of a world where women are so devalued that the Potions Master from Hogwarts tries to come and drag a former student back against her will. I am no longer a student, and you have no right to…"

"Are you quite finished?" he interrupted. "I want you to just shut up and listen to what I have to say, and then you can make your choice, you insolent, foolish girl. It is imperative that you return to Hogwarts at once and accuse Malfoy of the crime of which he is guilty, of which he has confessed to me. Even with his /confession, we cannot prosecute him under wizarding law without the consent and testimony of the person who was wronged. You _must_ accuse him, and I assure you, even his father will not be able to keep him from going to trial and very likely a long sentence in Azkaban. This is utterly crucial to us because it keeps an extremely strong wizard out of Voldemort's circle indefinitely. Because the imbecile perpetrated the act before your actual graduation, he cannot escape punishment for the crime, unless you allow him to leave Hogwarts tomorrow into his father's care. At that point, I fear he will be lost, and I cannot stress this point more urgently, the battle to save the wizarding world will be lost as well." 

"You're saying that I – a lowly Muggle-born, remember - hold the cards to keep Malfoy out of the Death Eaters. What's in this for me? Why should I care? I am finished with that life." She knew she was on thin ice, but in her rage, she didn't care.

"Innocent lives are at stake, Miss Granger. Your duty to humanity is far greater than you can possibly realize. In the pain of last evening, an opportunity to thwart Voldemort's plans was born. You see, it is rumored among…my associates…that Draco the keeper of a unique power that Voldemort needs to become strong enough to lead the charge against the Ministry and Hogwarts. He has been biding his time until the brat turns eighteen, when the power will be fully mature. It is a complicated story best told at another time, and even I don't have all the details. This opportunity cannot wait even another bloody hour. The fate of the entire world is in your hands, Miss Granger. It is time to stop crying about what you cannot change and do something truly great – something very Gryffindor - with the power you hold."

"I…I need to be protected, and the walls of this convent afford a type of protection that Dumbledore obviously isn't capable of. I don't expect you to understand how I feel. I went from confident woman ready to take on the world to shattered and defeated by the hands of the devil's spawn in the space of four hours. I cannot face him, and I cannot be that…exposed…again."

"I do comprehend the sacrifice, Miss Granger. But you are hurting everyone you claimed only hours ago to hold dear by the selfish act of staying here when there is work to be done."

"You don't know the first thing about what I've been through." She knew she was being petulant, but she couldn't seem to stop.

"Oh, don't I? Did you forget that I'm a turncoat Death Eater? That I've been tortured, maimed, and put through the most depraved acts for the amusement of an evil, sinister overlord? Would you like to see my scars?" He sneered at her, but inside, he could not help but be concerned and anxious for her. What a revolting development. "I assure you I know exactly how you are feeling, probably better than anyone you know right now, Miss Granger. But the fact remains; no matter how much I'd love to run away and shirk my terrible duty, I know that what I am doing is right and just and that we will prevail in the end, even if I have to give my life to the cause. Your bratty whining in this regard won't make a dent on my conscience, but a decision to stay here will cost you untold regret in the end."

Hermione slid down into a chair, and covered her eyes. He was undoubtedly right, of course. That didn't make the instinct to flee from his unbending gaze any less strong. Her thoughts turned to Harry and Ron, and all their friends. She _would_ be letting them down if she didn't go through with this. And, Professor Snape had reminded her of that which she knew too well. The part he had played in the evil game between the forces of Light and Dark put him in constant danger. He was never in a safe place like this. Her world had been shattered the night before, but it was a new day with new opportunities, and she must carry on. Suddenly, she didn't feel quite as fragile.

"Professor Snape, may I ask you a question?"

"When have you ever asked permission before blathering some inane nonsense? Oh, go on." He knew he must have scored, watching the emotions flickering over her face. She had learned a hard lesson, but he felt a fierce protectiveness growing inside for the woman that stood before him in the ridiculous spit-stained outfit. He would make sure that she wasn't hurt again under his watch. 

"If I go back and testify and Draco is put in Azkaban, what then? Can I come back here?"

"Miss Granger, if you wish to come back here, we'll find you a Secret Keeper and make sure you're never found. After all, it didn't take Albus but an hour or two to figure out where you had gone. It's not the best hiding place in the world, especially when you forget to return your library books. However, there is something you can do for us after you take care of Malfoy, should you wish to consider it." Taking a deep breath, he plunged into uncharted territory.

"You do acceptable work in Potions. In fact, the best work I've ever seen in my years of teaching, though I won't ever admit I said that if you repeat it. My night job is rather dangerous, as you know, and there's always a chance that I'll leave one day and not return. I've begun the research involved to create potions to help us protect against the effects of all the Unforgivables. I would like to ask you to become my apprentice, working towards the goal of becoming a Potions Mistress and assisting in this most important work, if you'll accept the challenge."

She stared at him, wide-eyed, in shock. Did he actually just, after 7 years of unremitting hostility, admit that she was good in Potions? Good enough to be taken as the first apprentice the most dreaded Potions Master in Europe had ever had? Not to mention the excitement of being part of the research that he was doing…dare she even contemplate this?

All fear and loathing for the wizarding world aside, this might just be worth coming back for. The academic part of her mind was extremely excited, and trying to overcome the frightened child that still had control.

"Furthermore, Miss Granger, as my apprentice you will be under my protection, not just Dumbledore's. I give you my word that anything that you would face, we would face together. I'm not in the habit of taking graduate students and I am not going to let it be said that I didn't protect my own." He wanted to slap himself as he said it. Where was this all coming from? For gods' sakes, he must be going mental in this ridiculous Muggle insane asylum. He would never, ever live this one down with McGonagall. Offering to take an apprentice, voluntarily, was about the most out of character act he could muster; everyone knew he preferred to work in isolation and hated his students, and that he stubbornly insisted that forming relationships with anyone for any reason was rubbish. Alone. That was the sum of his existence, and he had been more than satisfied with it.

"I would think," she said quite icily, "that becoming your apprentice would continue to put me in danger every day given your rank in the Death Eater organization. How could an offer like that possibly entice me? Oh, wait, maybe it's the part where I'm harassed eighteen hours a day about how much of a know-it-all brat I am and how horribly miserable I am at creating even the most simple potion? Or perhaps it's the part where you force me to teach your first years…tell me, which is it that is supposed to make me want to return to the wizarding world?"

He had a sudden burst of fury, mostly at himself, at her words. Of course, she was right…who in their right mind would subject themselves to him anyway? What on earth had he been thinking? "I can't force you to accept, or to leave here and do the right thing and put Malfoy where he belongs. You can now tell your friends how you finally defeated the Great Greasy Most-Hated Bat of Slytherin. Oh, wait. You aren't _speaking_ to your friends, even though they love you and are terribly worried about you. Guess you aren't much of a Gryffindor, after all; I wonder why you weren't sorted into Hufflepuff." In frustration, he turned to leave, but was stilled by a small hand on his arm.

"I reserve the right to return here, with a _Fidelius_ charm in place to assure I cannot ever be located again."

"Done." 

"Time is wasting, then. Let's go." He wasn't sure what the magic words had been to make her reconsider, but he felt a flood of relief that she was returning with them. Perhaps he wasn't quite as frightening as he thought, right? Still had that old Snape charm? He groaned inwardly at the absurdity of that line of thought, and left the room with her.

Deep in each of their subconscious, unbeknownst to either of them, a new and powerful attachment was forming. Snape had promised to keep her safe. In her fragile state of mind, this meant more than any other words he had said. She knew from experience that no matter how acerbic and difficult he might be, he revered loyalty and duty, even when it meant he might die; he'd proven that time and again in Dumbledore's service. She was starting to feel protected again, even as she headed back to the world she'd only that morning intended to forsake forever.

*~*

"Mother Superior, I am truly sorry…the children were simply wonderful…"

"Go, my child, go. There will always be a place for you here, but I can tell you that I know that your destiny lies elsewhere."

"I don't think so. I will likely be back very soon…"

"Sister Mary Rebecca, I'm not in the business of crystal gazing and waving wands. But in 95 years on this earth I've learned a few things. There is something quite powerful at work here; and I feel that God intends greater things for you."

"Confession time. I don't believe in God."

"Oh, child, you don't have to. I know it sounds trite, but the Holy Spirit of God believes in you and lives in you. And you will learn to draw on the power of the Holy Spirit that you possess as a Sister in this order. It is something you will always carry with you, even though you were only here a few hours. You are changed forever, child, and it's not a change for the negative. Owls can find me here, should you ever wish to speak further." With that very final statement, the Mother Superior pushed the odd trio out the door with admonitions to Albus to stop by for a nice whisky of an afternoon before too long. After they had gone, she fingered the rosary she kept in her desk drawer, and watched it glow. "Yes, she believes strongly in you indeed, child."


	5. Chapter 5

"The Leaving Feast begins in two hours, Hermione," Albus said as Hermione sat in the relative safety of his office with Professors Snape and McGonagall. "We have to apprehend Mr. Malfoy before then. I suggest that I should contact Alastor Moody right away, and…"

"Yes," she said, "You should contact the Ministry and have officials ready to arrest him. But I intend to make a spectacle of the bastard before the whole school."

"I'm surprised, child, we could take care of this very quietly right here in my office. I would have assumed you would want to make a full confrontation only at his trial; after all, this trauma is very fresh, and you did run away last night; the ordeal must have been terrible for you. You won't have to see him for several days if we have Moody quietly take him away now."

"No. I want everyone in this school to know exactly what happened." She was very pale, but had a determined look on her face that everyone recognized. It was the same look she had been Petrified with in her second year after she had discovered what was happening with the Chamber of Secrets. Instinctively, Snape put a hand on her shoulder and asked softly, "Are you certain you wish to pursue this course of action, Miss Granger? The Slytherins won't take your accusations very kindly, and it will be a certain and dire disruption of the Feast. There will be disbelief, and shock, and anger directed not only at Mr. Malfoy, but at yourself."

She wheeled on him, still evidencing the staggering fury she was carrying inside. "I don't give a damn about your Junior Death Eater Camp, Professor. Everyone will know exactly, in detail, what happened last night. I owe nothing less to you, and all assembled here. With it all out in the open, no one will be able to protect him from what's coming to him. It can't be hushed up, it can't be ended, and it will be very public. He wanted to humiliate me; well, he will have a public flogging in the court of public opinion and you cannot make me do it any other way no matter how you think your bloody house will react, Professor Snape. You dragged me back here, and at this point, I am calling the shots." 

Minerva goggled at Hermione's impertinent behavior towards Snape, but was even more aghast when he tightened his grip on her shoulder and didn't take points off or come back with a biting retort. Something very, very remarkable was afoot between the two of them. Minerva looked over at Albus, and could see that he was not unaware of the changed dynamic. They both supposed he was attempting to be kind after the trying circumstances of the last 18 hours, but it was certainly a side of Severus Snape Minerva was unaccustomed to seeing. Concern for a Gryffindor's well-being, without the biting sarcasm to cover it up. Would wonders never cease?

"This will greatly, greatly displease Voldemort," Albus said. "I think it's a capital plan of course, as long as Miss Granger believes she can go through with it. I'll floo the Ministry to have a few Aurors on hand tonight. Minerva, perhaps you'd like to take Miss Granger to your quarters until the Leaving Feast? I think it's best that no one, save her graduating class from Gryffindor who deserve to know what's happening, be aware of her presence. You may use my invisibility cloak."

Shrouding herself in the cloak, Hermione left the room with Minerva, headed for Gryffindor Tower.

"My word, Severus, what _happened_ between the two of you at the convent? I've never seen you act this way about anyone except Lily." Dumbledore peered at Snape over his half-moon glasses, frankly inquisitive and without the slightest hint of his usual omnipotence.

"This isn't the same, Albus. I merely have concern for the girl because of the stakes in this dreadful matter. Nothing more."

"Are you sure? What aren't you telling me?"

Leave it to Dumbledore to see through him. "I offered her a position as my apprentice and graduate assistant. Are you satisfied now?"

"Severus. That is extraordinary news! I can't think of anyone better suited to assist you with your work, and she will obviously be a fine Potions Mistress one day. But what motivated you to break longstanding Snape tradition and bestow such an honor on a student, much less one of your hated Gryffindors? Not that her work isn't top notch enough to merit it, mind you, but…"

"Don't ask me, old man. I don't have an answer. It seemed like a logical thing to do at the time to try and win her back and help our cause. Now, of course, I have to pay the dratted costs, so don't say 'I told you so'. She reserves the option to have the Fidelius Charm performed and go back into hiding, so I am unsure of her plans in that regard anyway," he said almost hopefully. "The important work happens tonight, and after that…" he trailed off, not knowing exactly what he wanted to happen after tonight. Nothing he had done that day made the slightest bit of sense.

*~*

"Hermione! Oh, I am so relieved to see you!" Harry was the first person to enter McGonagall's quarters, followed by the rest of the Hermione's classmates. Ron hugged her as if he had no intention of letting her go, and then Seamus, Dean, Neville, Parvati, and Lavender grabbed her in turn for a huge Gryffindor group hug.

"Where in the hell…"

"What in the hell…"

"Sod off!" Hermione yelped, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "I'm exhausted, and besides, you'll know all there is to know at the Leaving Feast. The only detail I intend to leave out there, is that I went into hiding and didn't last but a few hours before I was found; so if you ever intend to go into hiding, don't check out any books from the Hogwarts library about it."

"You won't have to worry about that from me," Ron chuckled, still not letting her go.

Minerva said in her kind but authoritative way, "Children, I will allow you to go and prepare for the feast, but you must not breathe a word of Hermione's return to the castle to anyone. I know that everyone believes she is still missing, particularly the Slytherins, and she needs to remain missing until she walks into the Great Hall. Is that understood? And I want you all to come here before you go down, and escort her down as a unit. She will need all your strength to do what must be done tonight." Everyone nodded and solemnly vowed silence, and filed out of the room. 

"Oh, Lavender?" Hermione called out.

"Yes?" Lavender squeaked.

"Can you please retrieve my formal black dress and my House color robes and send them here with a house-elf? I'll need to look my very, very best tonight." Lavender nodded assent, and within a few minutes, Winky appeared bearing a package. "This is for Miss Granger from Miss Brown," she said.

"Thank you, Winky."

"Miss not be thanking Winky for her work. Bad miss!" Winky was still a bit sore about SPEW.

"Sorry, sorry Winky. Be gone with you, then," she said with mock sternness. Happier at being dismissed properly, Winky popped out of the room. 

Yes, she might miss the oddities of the wizarding world a little…but there was revenge and justice to be done before she could leave again. With Minerva solicitously leaving her alone to get ready, Hermione began preparing to be the most beautiful woman to ever grace the Hogwarts Leaving Feast. She could feel a strange and welcome energy flowing through her, even though she hadn't slept or eaten all day, that seemed to propel her on and make her hyperaware of everything around her. As she looked at her face in the mirror, she could see a very distinct change from the previous day. She looked older, and wiser. She wasn't sure if that was a good change or not.


	6. Chapter 6

At the appointed hour, the Seventh Form Gryffindors assembled for the last time together outside of Professor McGonagall's door. They didn't understand what was happening, exactly, but they had discussed their suspicions quietly among themselves earlier and had resolved to stand by Hermione as a unit no matter what the situation was. She would not go through anything alone.

Hermione and Professor McGonagall stepped out of the door, and there was a collective intake of breath. 

Hermione looked utterly amazing. And, she appeared about a decade older than the girl they had seen a day before at dinner. Harry looked at Ron, and noticed they were both gaping at her open-mouthed. Something was definitely very different about their best friend. Frankly, everyone was more than a little worried, especially at the mask of placid calm betrayed by glittering, angry eyes that Hermione was wearing. 

The group had correctly deduced in their afternoon discussions that Malfoy had probably attacked her the night before, since they all knew from the meeting earlier that she and Malfoy had returned to the dorms at about the same time.

"Did he hit her with an aging spell, or what?" Seamus hissed to Ron and Neville, who were walking beside him. "She looks…extremely…mature." And incredibly fetching, Ron thought privately. He might have to re-think his and Harry's gentleman's agreement not to ever form a romantic relationship with their female best friend.

"I don't know," Neville said, "but that look in her eye! I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of her anger tonight."

"Me either," Parvati caught the tail end of what they were saying. "Gods have mercy."

Hermione took Harry's arm, and the group moved en masse to the Great Hall. They had timed their entrance to arrive a few minutes after everyone else was seated, and as Ron and Professor McGonagall threw the doors open, they could see that their entrance had the desired effect. An audible gasp rose over the Great Hall, which was adorned with the silver and green of Slytherin House, the House Cup winners for the year. Everyone had noticed the absence of the graduating Gryffindors, of course, and no one had expected to see Hermione again given the rumours that were circulating about her having left in the middle of the night for parts unknown. But as she approached the Head Table with her companions in tow, more gasps went up. Everyone could see how regal and beautiful she was, and how different she appeared than the girl they knew; it was hard to put your finger on it, but she carried herself with such dignity and grace that for a minute no one was sure if she was actually the same overly-bright girl with bushy hair they'd all known since "Granger, Hermione" had been sorted into Gryffindor.

Minerva sat in her chair at Dumbledore's right hand, and Dumbledore rose and put his hands up to silence the gawking house tables filled with murmuring children. Hermione refused to look at either Professor Snape or the Slytherin table, but Harry and Ron couldn't help a sidelong glance. Draco, normally sneering and confident, looked pale and frightened and ready to bolt out the door. His eyes darted nervously from the Head Table to his companions seated nearby, and he started to stand up. In a flash, Professor Snape stood at his side, and pushed him down in his chair and kept his hand on Draco's shoulder to ensure that he would stay put.

"Miss Granger, I believe you have something to say to your fellow students?" Dumbledore prompted.

"I do." Harry looked in her eyes, and saw a fire that he had never witnessed in her. Revenge. He remembered well his own quest for revenge against Sirius Black in his third year, and hoped this would not prove her undoing. Once this type of anger started, it was hard to stop.

"As I am sure you are all aware," she looked over at Draco for the first time, "I've had to leave Hogwarts for the day for a little soul-searching. I'm sure it came as a shock to all of you to consider that I hadn't hung around to enjoy my academic success and graduate with my classmates. However, I'm sure several of you are equally surprised to see me enter the Great Hall again on cue." She looked pointedly at the Slytherin table.

"I won't beat around the bush, then. Last night as I finished my final rounds of the castle, I was attacked by our very own Hogwarts Head Boy, Draco Malfoy." She waited for the gasps and whispers to quiet down, and looked directly into his panicked eyes. "He silenced me, immobilized and disrobed me, and raped me. Not content to do just this, he hung me upside down and attempted to force me to perform oral sex on him. When I refused to participate, he used the Cruciatus curse on me until I complied." For a minute, she saw the horrified looks in the first and second years' eyes, but pressed on. "Then Malfoy raped me once more for good measure, and then hit me over the head with his fist until I passed out. When I came to, he was laughing and unbound me and told me to go back to the Muggle world I came from, and never return." She paused and put a hand on Harry's shoulder, and Lavender and Dean each put their arms around her to assist her in finishing her speech. Hermione stole a look at Professor Snape before she went on, and was surprised at what she found in his eyes. He was giving her his strength, and surprising warmth, to continue. Knowing that he was in her corner, and had seen and endured what she had and worse, she continued on.

"I actually did what Draco asked me to do. I left and disappeared into the Muggle world, for a short time. In leaving, I nearly allowed Draco to get away with this. But someone in this room found me and talked some sense into me, and I am here to make Draco Malfoy pay for what he has done to me." She saw the sneers and open loathing towards her on the face of Crabbe, Goyle, and the other graduating Slytherins, who were circling the wagons around their leader.

"First of all, in my capacity as Head Girl, and my last act as such: 200 points from Slytherin for fostering and protecting such a coward." Albus clapped, and the decorations took on the gold and crimson of Gryffindor House.

"Secondly," as the Aurors stepped out of the shadows, "I hereby formally accuse Draco Malfoy of rape and using an Unforgivable Curse on me to achieve his dreadful ends." Snape's hand on Malfoy's shaking shoulder was replaced by Mad-Eye Moody's, and Snape walked behind Hermione at the Head Table, placing his hand in the small of her back as he gave her support. The Slytherins gasped at the fact that their Head of House was not protecting Draco, and further, was giving support to Draco's accuser. A few of the more savvy quickly made a connection that Snape had to do this to save face in front of Dumbledore, and those that did explained to their slower housemates that Snape surely didn't really give a twit about the Granger idiot.

"I didn't do it," Draco sniveled. "You can't prove anything. My father won't stand for this nonsense."

"No?" Minerva said, hot with rage. "A little Veritaserum should fix that obstacle."

"Besides," Snape said levelly, staring at the boy. "You confessed to the rape, and your wand will provide the rest of the information that is needed under _Priori Incantatem_."

Dawning horror flickered across Draco's patrician features. There was no way out. Snape had been right; he had been a fool, and there really was no way his father could save him now. But Voldemort knew no such rules, and Draco had some knowledge of how important he was to the Dark Lord. Surely Voldemort would never allow the power he had been waiting for 18 years to obtain to slip away like this.

"This isn't over," Draco said as Mad-Eye Moody led him away, flanked by several other ministry officials. "I'll see you in hell, Granger."

As the door to the Great Hall closed, Hermione sank to her knees, and the world went dark.

*~*

She didn't open her eyes at first. She could tell by the smells in the air that she was in the Infirmary. There was another scent, too, one that she couldn't place at first but realized must be Snape. She had not realized that everpresent patchouli-and-wintergreen scent in the Potions classroom was actually his own unique smell. It was rather comforting and pleasant, and much easier to lie there and live in a world of scent and sound instead of opening her eyes to face a new day.

She could hear his breathing near her, and gradually became aware of Harry's scent nearby as well. Madam Pomfrey said softly nearby, "Harry, you must get on the train. It's about to leave. We will owl you immediately at the Burrow, you and Ron, when she awakens."

"I can't leave her like this."

"You can and you must, Mr. Potter," Snape said in a sullen, tired voice. "You are needed to make sure things don't get out of hand on the Hogwarts Express on the return trip to King's Cross. The Slytherins are very upset about Malfoy; I daresay there may be an incident. I would go myself and keep an eye on the brats, but I am needed…here."

Harry knew he was right, and stood to leave. "Be strong, Hermione. I'll see you in a few days." She listened to his footsteps retreating, and then opened her eyes and looked directly into black eyes, staring at her with a look of concern.

"You heard that." It wasn't an accusation on his part, just a statement of fact.

"I wasn't ready to face Harry, yet. A lot has happened, and I'm not quite at the _acceptance_ phase yet." Hermione stretched, and sat up, but became immediately dizzy and lay down again. "How long have I been…"

"Only overnight. I carried you directly here from the Great Hall when you fainted into my arms. Dobby and Winky are moving your things to new rooms, out of Gryffindor Tower and down in the dungeons." At her shocked look, he said, "No, I'm not making you an honorary Slytherin, not to worry. I want you to be where I can get to you quickly if there is trouble. I certainly trust that Malfoy has been caught breaking the law and should be punished with a lengthy stay in Azkaban, but I don't trust Voldemort to let his prize go so easily. Minerva has duties away from Hogwarts for much of the summer, so I need to keep you close. I'm sorry if you're disappointed."

She processed this new information. He was committed to protecting her, so much so that he was voluntarily consenting to share his erstwhile lonely space with her during the summer to ensure her safety. Perhaps her new life as Sister Mary Rebecca could wait a while, after all.

She studied her former Potions Master with frank abandon. She felt as though she had never really seen him with adult eyes, and at this point, her childhood was definitely lost to her forever. She felt as if she had gained years of age in a day. She felt that strange sense of inner power and wisdom again, and wasn't sure what to make of it. She had fainted from the exhaustion of carrying all the anger, but once she had let it go, she felt relaxed, if very much still troubled about the emotions swirling inside.

Severus Snape was…gods help her, he was all of a sudden attractive. Was this her gratitude at his insistence in helping her manifesting itself inappropriately? His hands, his lips, his dark eyes, his shoulders and strong hands…oh, my. She had never thought of any boy except Viktor Krum in this way before, much less an older man, much less her hated Potions Professor! What in blazes was happening?

He allowed her to watch him without his normal dry commentary when a student's eyes lingered too long, wondering what she was thinking. The girl…no, woman in front of him had changed dramatically overnight, and he wondered if he might not ought to have Poppy do a complete physical on her. Her eyes were different – wise and unusually bright, reminding him of Dumbledore. And she no longer looked like a child to him. It was a strange transformation, and he wondered if the Mother Superior would have any explanation of what had occurred.

Where had that come from? 

The Mother Superior. With sudden clarity, he looked again at Hermione, who was still quietly matching his stare. Something had happened to this girl, and he would bet a fistful of Galleons that the Mother Superior would have an explanation given her little speech as they left Ireland. He had no use for organized religion, of course, though the Snape family was often seen attending the local church for appearances' sake when he was a child. It was all so much hokum and nonsense to him, but that Mother Superior had immediately struck him as one of the more powerful Muggles he had ever met. There was _definitely_ much more to this story.

And when had she become so blasted attractive, anyway? Damn it all, this was one utterly vile complication he did not need. He had already promised to help protect her from Malfoy, asked her to be his apprentice; had he gone completely mad?

He didn't want to answer that question yet.

"I'll let Poppy and Dumbledore know that you have awakened, and we'll send that owl to the Burrow so all the assorted Weasleys and Potter will know you are all right. I'll leave you in the good Madam Pomfrey's capable hands." Snape got up and turned around to leave.

"Thank you, Professor Snape. For…for everything."

"Rest, Miss Granger." He walked away before he lost his ability to do so, as he was beginning to find her rather irresistible and needed space and time to think.


	7. Chapter 7

"How well do you know the Mother Superior, Albus? And dare I ask, how do you know her at all?" Severus tried to appear dispassionate about the topic over afternoon tea, but Albus was too clever for him.

"You're wondering about the refences to the power she spoke of, aren't you?"

"Well, yes, I guess I am. Hermione has changed. At first I thought it was because she had gone through a dreadful ordeal with Malfoy, but there is something more powerful at work. You can feel it, and see the evidence of it in her."

"Yes," Dumbledore said wearily, "but I'm not quite sure how to describe it to you. Let me try. When I took over as headmaster of this school, I was told by my predecessor that occasionally disaffected young witches would enter a convent in Ireland. I also learned that while the convent itself was non-magical, the women who would seek shelter there and then return were quite extraordinary witches. They harnessed a feminine power unlike anything else we've known. No one knows for sure exactly why these witches change, but becoming a part of the Order of Benevolent Light and receiving the Mother Superior's blessing awakens something that is probably already inherent in these witches' personality. This drives them to become very mature and wise, if they use the power well. It's been manifested differently each time I've seen it; in my lifetime there have been only three witches that have returned from the Order. Four, if you include Hermione."

"Have I known any of these witches? You would think if someone was capable of greater magic than normal, I'd know something about them."

"You have known two personally. Lily Potter. Narcissa Malfoy."

"Are you suggesting…you're not saying…"  
  
"I am saying it. Lily ran away to the convent before her seventh year here. My theory has always been that in addition to her great love for her son helping to protect him from Voldemort, her power helped rebound the curse. It didn't protect her, most unfortunately. But Lily proved the power of the Order in her ability to protect her son. And in both Narcissa and Lily's case, they passed on the power to their sons."

The revelations were shocking to Severus Snape. Why had Lily run away? She had everything going for her and was always in control of every situation, with that insufferable Gryffindor courage and spirit and her idiotic boyfriend and his Marauding friends.

"Was she…"

"I'd rather not tell you, Severus."

"I have to know."

Albus sighed with the weight of long-kept secrets that he wasn't certain should be revealed. "All right. She was in love with someone who made it clear that he didn't return her affections. It was before she became involved with James. She ran away on an impulse, and thought better of it before her final year here."

Snape's eyes flew open. "Me?"

"Did you not send her a letter telling her you could never love a Gryffindor and to sod off and leave you alone?"

"Oh, Albus. I had no idea she was in love with me. I thought she was toying with me like her idiot Gryffindor friends had done, and I lashed out. No one else ever wanted me, and I refused to believe someone as incredible as Lily Evans could possibly want me. I _was_ in love with her. I am a damn fool. After she took up with James, I made the worst mistake of my life by joining Voldemort out of my frustration and rage at how the situation turned out. How twisted my life was because of my refusal to believe her."

"You _were_ a damn fool, my friend. But things have unfolded as they should, Severus, you must believe that she never held you in contempt, and her destiny was with James. Harry had to be born. You must believe in this timeline, or it will be your undoing. There is nothing you can do about the past, but you have a future in your hands now that you need to consider." Dumbledore watched his friend carefully. Dumbledore had just revealed some very painful truths, but it was time that Severus knew the story.

"You never bloody well told me this. After all these years."

"I didn't want your feelings towards Harry to get any worse. And she swore me to secrecy, a trust I've just broken. I'm sorry."

"And Narcissa?"

"When she discovered her fiance's role in the Death Eaters, she fled for Ireland and the sanctuary of the Order. She discovered she was with child while she was there, and made the unfortunate decision to return to marry Lucius. Draco, like Harry, has the power of the Order in him. That's what Voldemort intends to use. This is only theory on my part, but I believe the reason Harry has had access to this power his whole life is because of his mother's blood sacrifice; but Draco will have access to the power on his eighteenth birthday, if past history is any indication. The only other living child of the Order's power became mature when he turned eighteen."

"I'll decide whether to forgive you for holding all this back from me later. Meanwhile, Miss Granger has this unnamed and unpredictable power just from spending five hours with that nun? Are you sure that ancient crone is not a witch? What am I to expect living next door to this woman?"

"I don't know, as my only available case study died three years after receiving the gift, and Narcissa might as well be dead; as you well know, she exists only on a lot of Muggle painkillers and alcohol, these days. I trust you will try not to allow either of those scenarios to happen to Miss Granger."

Snape shook his head slowly, and left for the Infirmary. He'd process the grief over what could have been with Lily some other time, as those days were in the past and he couldn't change them now. Like Albus said, he had someone else to protect now, and he had to see her again. 

*~*

Hermione sat at the desk in her new rooms adjoining Severus' in the dungeons. While she was still confused about her growing attraction to the Potions Master and the power she could feel coursing through her soul, she was certain that the quiet dungeons were just the place for her to mend after all that had happened.

"Crookshanks," she murmured in the direction of her familiar, "what in the name of all that I hold dear has happened to my life?"

Crookshanks didn't have an answer, but he purred contentedly.

_Dear Harry and Ron,_

_I hope this letter finds you well and safe at the Burrow. I am out of the Infirmary on my own power, and staying at Hogwarts for the time being. I'm contemplating my options, but I won't be joining you at the Burrow just yet. I'll owl you when I know more. If you can believe it, I've moved into rooms in the dungeons._

_I will never be able to repay you for standing by me in my darkest hour. I love the two of you more than you know._

_Keep Ginny out of trouble, you hear?_

_Love,_

_Hermione_

She strode to the door to walk up to the Owlery, and nearly plowed headfirst into Snape. "Madam Pomfrey informed me that you insisted on leaving and settling in down here. I trust everything is satisfactory? How are you feeling?"

She wasn't used to him being this solicitous. "I'm fine, just tired and confused about a few things."

"What are you confused about, Miss Granger?"

"Several things, none of which I care to elaborate on as yet. When do we begin work on the potions?"

"I wasn't aware you had made a decision to accept my offer."

"I accept," she waved her hand impatiently. "Now, when do we start?"

"We can start after we lay down some ground rules, Miss Granger. We need to have a clear understanding of purpose before we can proceed, as our relationship by necessity is changing and we need to be clear on what the parameters are."

"I'm not oblivious to the relationship between a graduate assistant and a professor. I help you with your work, the Ministry grants me the title of Potions Mistress when all is said and done on your recommendation. You don't treat me like an insufferable first year, but I'm not your equal and must defer to your better judgment in our work. You depend on me, and we have absolute trust in each other's ability to work; yours to lead, mine to follow. Am I on the right track?" Hermione was amazed at herself. She was matching his normal sarcastic tone in her speech, and wondered for a minute if by becoming his apprentice she would take on more of his characteristics by default.

He nodded. "You can drop the insolent tone with me. I'm well aware of your grasp of the obvious, Miss Granger. We need to talk about a few other things, as well."

She realized they had been standing in the doorway for this exchange, and belatedly she motioned him inside and offered him a seat and put on the teakettle. _My, has my life changed in less than two days,_ she mused. _Who could have imagined that I would be offering a chair to Professor Snape in my own rooms in the Hogwarts dungeon? Or that I would be an ordained nun? Or that I would no longer be able to approach a bloody unicorn thanks to that scum Malfoy?_

How much more could happen?

_And why the devil does Snape make butterflies dance in my stomach? How is it that I never noticed what amazing hands he has, or the beauty of his eyes? Oh, gods, I am clearly going insane._

Snape's muse was engaged in similar fashion as he settled into a chair with a cup of fine Earl Grey. _That ruddy penguin bewitched me, or some other foolish nonsense. I cannot for the life of me understand how I can be so attracted to an eighteen-year-old girl who not forty-eight hours ago was driving me insane with her know-it-all assistance to that overgrown lunatic Longbottom in the N.E.W.T. practicals. I am clearly going insane._

"So, Professor Snape, you had some more rules to lay down?" she prompted.

"Indeed. First of all, you may call me Severus. We are to be colleagues in our joint venture, and I'd like you to feel free to call me by my given name."

She inclined her head in acknowledgement, and mentally the name rolled in her mind. _Severus. Even the name is so sexy._ Shuddering and squashing the thought, she said out loud, "Then please call me Hermione. Though you could call me Sister Mary Rebecca if you are so inclined." She hoped that sounded lighthearted, but she could feel herself falling into his eyes and needed to figure out a way to pull herself out. What was happening?

"You chose the name Mary Rebecca?"

"Mary is my paternal grandmother's name, and Rebecca is my maternal grandmother's name."

"Hermione, then." He found himself inexorably drawn to her, and knew he needed to finish his speech and get out before he did something he would certainly regret in the morning.

"Secondly," he continued, shaking somewhat, "we'll need to draw up a formal contract with goals and schedules before we proceed. I think we should meet in my office after this whole thing with Malfoy is at an end, and work on this together. I want you to have the freedom to have a life, and not spend sixteen hours a day being harassed by me as you so eloquently said in Ireland."

"Agreed. I'll think about what my goals are tonight, and you consider what you want out of this…relationship…and we'll talk about it soon." She became very aware that he was trembling, and was unsure why at first. Could he be as attracted to her as she was to him? The thought was patently absurd.

"One more thing, Hermione," she loved the way he said her name, "we need to talk about your new powers."

"My new…what?"

"Dumbledore shared some very interesting information about the Order of the Benevolent Light, and I think we need to explore exactly what it means to be a member of that Order. It's not as cut and dried as you think; I don't think you're just a run-of-the-mill nun now."

"I've been noticing some rather drastic changes in myself since I went to Ireland, but I was unable to put a finger on what was causing it." She was worried about what she had gotten herself into, and that vow of celibacy was chafing her somewhat right about now. Vows were made to be broken, right? 

"I don't think it is a bad thing, but you have received a gift. I believe you should visit with both Dumbledore and the Mother Superior as soon as possible, so that you can have a grasp of the power you currently possess and how we might make use of it." _And maybe that ancient nun will help you figure out how to shut off your intense attractiveness to me so that I may sleep at night._

"Well then, I was off to find an owl to carry a note to the Burrow, and I think I'll stop by and talk to Dumbledore while I'm out. See you for dinner?" she asked with a note of longing.

He knew he couldn't make it through dinner at this rate, with the attraction to her growing stronger even now in her presence. "I'll be taking dinner alone in my quarters tonight. I believe tonight is Minerva's last night for a while, so you might ask her…I am sorry, I _must_ be going." She resisted the urge to touch him as he fled her rooms, and turned around to the basin to throw cold water on her face before heading out. 


	8. Chapter 8

"Chocolate toffee," she mumbled to the gargoyle as she made her way to the Headmaster's office.

"Hermione. Do come in. I was just about to invite you to dinner with Minerva and myself."

"Good, I gratefully accept. But I need to talk about these mad feelings that I'm having. I'm not at all myself since I went to Ireland, and I'm told you might know something about that."

"Sit down, sit down. Tea?"

"No, thank you. What have I gotten myself into, sir?"

"I will tell you what I know, and then we'll need to hear from the Mother Superior for the rest." He proceeded to tell Hermione basically the same story he told Snape earlier, leaving out the part about Harry's mother running away because she had been rejected by the dour young man now skulking in the Hogwarts dungeons.

"So, what you are saying is that the power isn't evident as long as you are under the protection of the Order, but once you leave it becomes apparent?"

"That seems to be so. My theory is that witches that go there in need of protection are granted more protection than they bargained for. And according to the Mother Superior, this change is only evident in witches, not the Muggles that join."

"And Harry and Draco? Do they know?"  
  
"Draco knows that he has an unusual power that is a twin of Voldemort's. Of course Voldemort's has never been the same since Harry defeated him the first time, but it is almost certainly what allowed him to live when he should have by all rights been dead. There has never been occasion to explain in detail to Harry what gifts his mother gave him, but that time is probably near."

"Is this some genetic change, or what? I don't understand." She was fiddling with her robes, and trying not to think of Snape.

"The Mother Superior would better be able to explain what has changed. What I know is that the power of the feminine side of God is magnified in magical members of the Order. I know, I know, you don't believe in God. But there is a feminine force at work that is incredibly powerful and ancient in the Order, and now in you. I've owled the Mother Superior asking if we can seek a deeper explanation."

"Are Harry and Draco the only two children born to a witch of the Order, then?"

"No. There is one other living."

"Voldemort."

"Right in one."

"That's why he wanted to kill Harry, then? To make sure his rise to power went unchecked, and that Narcissa's child – Draco - would be the only one to be his heir?"

"Very perceptive, Hermione, and probably accurate, though I confess I haven't interviewed Voldemort to get his opinion."

Dobby suddenly appeared. "Master, my old master is here to see you and the miss, sir."

"Lucius is here? This is rather unexpected. Show him in, please, Dobby."

*~*

"I'll give you any price. You name it, whatever you wish, but you must withdraw your accusation against my son." Lucius Malfoy had been having an awful day. Once the news of Draco's arrest had made its way to the Dark Lord, all hell had broken loose. Lucius had to mend three broken bones in his hand and one in his cheek before he had Apparated to Hogwarts to plead for his son's life. And groveling before Dumbledore and this horrid little Mudblood after a morning of liberal doses of the _Cruciatus _was nearly the final straw.

"I can't be bought off, Mr. Malfoy." The defiant, angry Sister Mary Rebecca was back with a vengeance.

"You won't be able to imagine the wrath of Voldemort when he gets his hands on you, girl. Let Draco go, and I'll ensure that you'll be protected."

"Oh please, Lucius. No one will be protected from Voldemort in the end, least of all me. I'm a Mudblood, remember?"

Lucius looked into her face, and saw a hauntingly familiar look in her eyes. Could she be… "Draco is young, he made a horrid mistake, but he doesn't deserve a life in Azkaban for one mistake."

"He should have considered that before he did something so Unforgivable, then. I don't make the rules, but I certainly resolve to live by them," she said icily. At that moment, he knew. She had that same steely reserve that Narcissa had come home with eighteen years prior to this, before he had broken her. His foolish son had created yet another witch under the protection of the Order. Lucius winced at the amount of pain he'd have to endure to bring this news to the attention of Voldemort.

"You have three days to change your mind. I can assure you, if you don't, you _will _be sorry."

"Threats, Lucius?" Snape stood in the doorway, idly surveying the scene as if it was of no great import. "How very much like you."

"Snape," Lucius spat, "Don't interfere in matters that don't concern you." Lucius turned and stalked to the door, turning to look at the ever-impassive Dumbledore. "This isn't over yet, old man, and you best get the girl to recant her testimony or there will be war, I can promise you." After he left, Severus sighed and looked at Dumbledore and held up his arm. "I have been summoned. I'm certain that Voldemort will wish me to find a way to convince Miss Granger to recant, but unless things have changed, he doesn't want me to blow my cover with you, so that should buy me some time. I am going to tell him that I have taken her as an apprentice to keep an eye on her and keep her close."

"I think," Hermione said, "that Lucius guessed that I am a member of the Order. I saw a certain familiarity dawn in his eyes as he spoke to me."

"He'll be on his way to Voldemort with that news, but it cannot be helped," Snape said. "Hermione, there is still time for you to go into hiding; with the Fidelius, they won't ever be able to find you again."

"No," she said with grim determination, "I believe I have important work to do. Yesterday was the time for fear. I'm growing stronger. I'm not afraid."

Snape nodded, and left for his meeting with Voldemort. An owl arrived with a note just as the door closed.

_Dearest Sister Mary Rebecca and Albus,_

_I don't have much to add to what you already know, but for Mary Rebecca's sake, I'll explain the Gift of the Order as best I can._

_Traditional Catholic faith revolves around the Trinity, or a God that is three in one; the God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Order of Benevolent Light, while technically Catholic, takes a divergent and some would say heretical view of the Godhead. We have direct evidence of a Feminine side of God, and see the Holy Spirit as our "Mother of Creation". It's still the Trinity, but God is infinitely more than just a masculine presence._

_When you took your vows, I placed a rosary over you and prayed. This rosary is very old, and has been handed down from Mother Superior to Mother Superior for a thousand years at least. It shows me who in the Order truly has the Mother of Creation's blessing and favor. The women who have a piece of the Holy Spirit have it within them to do great things._

_It is never an accident that a woman finds us and becomes a member. While it might be painful to contemplate, the act that drove you to our doors was necessary so that you could tap into Her power. In the coming war, you will be needed._

_I am certain Albus has spoken of children of members of the Order. You should know that by my reckoning, a still-weakened Voldemort and strong Draco together will likely have the power to overcome Harry. Harry's power is greater than either Voldemort's, or Draco's as yet unrealized power because his mother gave him so much more of the Spirit's power. He was conceived in love, which gave him a head start against Draco. He was given so much of the feminine in his babyhood; birthed in a powerful joyous push, nursed at the breast of a strong loving witch, who ultimately died for him. His piece of the Spirit is great indeed, and some of it is still unrealized. But Voldemort has taken some of that uniqueness from him in his rebirthing ceremony. Yes, I know about that; I always sense when there is a drawing of energy from the Mother's bosom, and I dreamed of what happened that night._

_No, Albus, I am not a witch, and you know it. Just very old, and tuned in, as they say._

_I cannot foresee what will happen but keeping Draco locked up and out of harm's way is the best way to forestall Voldemort at this time. You're on the right path, and you would be right to attempt to enlist more assistance as well. There will be attempts to free Draco from his bonds. Do not allow this to happen._

_Mary Rebecca dear, one thing you should know. The Mother's spirit in you will be seeking out a Companion and Protector, someone to form a life bond with. While in the convent, the Mother draws her strength, protection, and companionship with the other nuns; but outside the convent walls, she needs counterparts to keep the Trinity complete in you. You're likely to find yourself attracted to someone, irresistibly so, and you may find yourself with child before too long. This can be a Very Good Thing, or it can be dreadful if not fully realized. Your desire will be for someone you already wanted, but might not have realized it before the gift of the Spirit. There is a very good chance that he will return your affections, as the Mother is quite aware of the best matches and most fierce protectors. My advice? Don't fight it, even if it seems very strange at first. Primal forces are at work, and if you deny them, you'll end up a bitter, broken woman like Narcissa Malfoy, or dead by your own hand like Tom Riddle's mother. If the Mother's needs are denied, you may find yourself on the Dark path; it's happened before and I would hate to see history repeat itself. Remember that Lucifer was once God's most trusted Angel. You have free will, but the Mother will attempt to guide you in the wisest choices, and not listening to her guidance can have serious consequences._

_The Mother wished Narcissa to stay in Ireland and keep the child safe from Malfoy and Voldemort, and you see what happened when she made the wrong choice._

_If you still have questions, I am…_

_Always yours, _

_The Mother Superior_

Albus finished reading, and looked at the woman reading over his shoulder. Light was dawning for her about her unasked question, the one he knew both she and Severus were struggling with.

"Professor Snape…" she sighed.

"He's your Companion and Protector, child. You heard the Mother Superior. Don't fight it." A twinkle was in his eye, and she knew that he thought this was A Very Good Idea. The crazy old man had really gone off his rocker, this time. Snape? A Life Partner? The world must be coming to an end.

"Do you have any idea what you are saying? I need time to think. And we need to talk to Harry."

"Agreed."

*~*

_Dear Harry,_

_Could you come up to Hogwarts for the day tomorrow? Dumbledore and I need a word with you. It's important._

_Bring Ron, too._

_Love, Hermione_


	9. Chapter 9

He came to her in her dreams.

Warm hands caressed her arms, her shoulders, her hair. "I'll never let you be hurt again, Hermione. You're safe with me."

She savored his touch, and yearned for his lips on hers. But he was holding her, more in a protective embrace than a passionate one. His hands touched her in places where she had been violated. Her bruises, both physical and emotional, were healed when he touched her. She needed that touch…needed more than just protection. She wanted him.

"Make love to me, Severus," she whispered. But he was slipping away from her. She could feel coldness and a sense of fear as his presence fell away. "The Dark one is upon you. Stay here. You'll be safe with me…" but it was no use. He was gone, and she wasn't sure if she'd ever feel his touch again.

She awoke with a start. It was the early dawn, and there was an faint scratching at her door. She jumped out of bed and threw the door open. Severus leaned against the door frame, looking wild and terrible. He stumbled into her room and collapsed.

"_Accio_ wand." She levitated him onto her bed and grabbed a cold cloth from the basin. He seemed feverish, and was completely incoherent. What had the monster done to him? She realized that she had never been in a position to see him after a return from Voldemort's side before. Was he always like this?

She was afraid to leave him, but needed to get a message to Dumbledore right away. "Crookshanks!" The cat had been watching the scene unfold with feline half-interest. "Go get Dumbledore! Hurry!" Crookshanks, always possessed of far more intelligence and cunning than the normal feline, rushed out the still-open door at top speed. She knew he would be successful in his mission.

A minute later, Albus walked in and tutted at the prone form of the Potions Master on Hermione's bed. At her unspoken question, he said, "I'm afraid this is rather unusual. Certainly, he comes back from his nocturnal visits to Voldemort battered and bruised now and again, but never this far gone." Albus laid his hands on Severus' head, and whispered a few soothing words. The muttering stopped, and Severus' eyes closed.

"He needs sleep now, and I daresay you'll let me know when he's awakened?"

"Shouldn't he be up in the Infirmary?"

"I trust he'll be in excellent hands here. Let me know, all right, child?" Albus left, and the room was suddenly quite chilly for a June morning. She lit a fire and started tea, and pulled a chair up to the bed and watched him sleep.

An hour later, a very excitable owl was pecking at the only window in the room, high on one wall. "Pig," she said with a smile, as she allowed Ron Weasley's owl into the room. He hooted and allowed her to relieve him of his note, and flew around the room noisily chasing Crookshanks. "It's all right, Pig, you can go on home. Here's a bit of biscuit for you, now. Be off with you."

_Hermione,_

_We'll be there for tea. Can't wait to see your new Slytherin digs. We had fancied that you'd move into the Library before you'd take up residence near that git Snape. Weird._

_Love, Ron and Harry_

_PS: Percy got promoted again. He'll be overseeing the American relations division. The colonies will revolt, surely. At least the mother country can rest safely knowing her cauldron bottoms are uniformly thick. Mum sends her love._

Little did they know that her "Slytherin digs" included the Head of House currently slumbering in her bed. Or that she was dreaming of a seduction. Or that Albus and the Mother Superior said she _should_ go for the seduction. Ye gods.

After another hour, he began to stir and cried out. Hesitantly, she put her hands on his back, and began to massage lightly. He seemed to rest again, and she continued rubbing for a few minutes. She began to pull away, and he grew restless once more. She sat on the bed next to him and kept her hands on him, and that seemed to help greatly. After a while, she grew tired and wondered if she should just lie down next to him and take a nap…what was the harm, right? It was medicinal, after all…

He awoke with a painful groan as the late morning sunlight filtering through the high window hit his eyes. Something awful had happened, but he somehow didn't feel so bad. Where was he? Shaking the grogginess away, he became aware of a small arm wrapped around his waist.

As he stirred, she awoke. Self-conscious, she removed her arm and sat up in one fluid motion. "I'm sorry…you were just so restless…it seemed to help."

"What happened?" The warm imprint of her arm around him was permanently branded on his soul. "I was under a very extended Cruciatus, and lost consciousness, and … the next thing I remember is waking up a minute ago."

"I cannot say what happened for sure, but you arrived on my doorstep at dawn and Albus stilled you into sleep with what I think was a _Somulus_ charm. You didn't sleep well, though, but contact with me seemed to assist you in getting some rest."

"I see. Well, we should tell Albus I'm awake; I have a few things to discuss with you both."

"I have a something to tell you, as well, but it can wait." He stood up, and wavered a moment. She offered her arm, and he took it and they left the room.

*~*

"Licorice sticks," Hermione said to the gargoyle.

"Severus, do sit down…let me help you, my dear," Albus rushed over. A very pale Snape collapsed on the nearest chair, and began his report.

"To say that Voldemort is angrier than I've ever seen him would be an understatement. I'm not the only one nursing a fairly serious _Cruciatus_ hangover this morning. I'm sure Lucius and Wormtail are pretty well laid out."

"Wormtail? What does he have to do with this?" Albus seemed uncharacteristically perplexed.

"Nothing. He just gets the lucky job of being the Master's caregiver and receives the blunt end of his anger. At any rate, Voldemort does clearly understand _why_ Malfoy and I could not protect Draco from his own idiocy, but that didn't make him any less prone to lashing out in anger. He would like your head on a platter, Albus, but there's nothing new there. What he really, really wants right now, is Hermione."

She shuddered for a moment, remembering the look in Harry's eyes when he returned with Cedric's body in their fourth year here. She had no wish to personally meet Voldemort anytime soon. But a part of her screamed out, _If it would take away Severus' pain, you'd go in a minute. You're not afraid anymore._

"So he can silence me, and get to Malfoy before he is safely away in Azkaban." It wasn't a question.

Snape nodded. "He wants me to kill you in such a way that it cannot be traced back to me or to him. He's done it before. A little bit of a poorly-known potion, and you would develop a fast-growing cancer that would eliminate you in just a few days. No trace of the potion would remain by the time you were discovered. I made the bloody potion for him once; I didn't closely question why I was asked for these things back then. More kills to add to my Hall of Shame, I'm afraid." 

Had she ever seen this man as evil? Yes, she clearly remembered a time as a child when she was certain he was out to kill Harry; gods, she'd even set the man on fire before she found out that he was actually saving Harry from Quirrel/Voldemort's curse. He wore the shroud of callous malevolence well, but she was seeing a side of him that lived in humiliation and perpetual angst for the crimes he had committed and the atrocities he had witnessed. Her Gryffindor heart went out to him, in a gesture that she knew he would condemn as sentimental tripe. At that moment, she didn't care.

"How well do you know Narcissa Malfoy, Severus?" Hermione asked.

The fact that Hermione and Severus were on a first-name basis now didn't escape Dumbledore.

"She's a drunken rich woman who does not get out of bed except to scream at the house-elves. Malfoy finds his pleasures, such as they are, elsewhere. It's a marriage of convenience, nothing more."

"Do you know why she is an alcoholic?"

"Presumably because she's married to Malfoy. That alone would drive anyone to the bottle. But to your question, no, I'm assuming it's a genetic predisposition."

"Except that there is a potion to counteract that. Why doesn't she take it?"

Albus saw where this was leading. " Given what the Mother Superior said, I'd wager she did not follow the Holy Spirit's advice, and she's been paying for it since Draco was born. She drinks herself into a stupor daily so that she doesn't have to deal with the ramifications of her choices."

"Was she a good mother to Draco, Severus?" Hermione continued.

"What's this bloody nonsense about the Spirit?" He was irritated that Albus and Hermione were in on a secret of which he was unaware.

"Just answer the question and we can discuss that in a moment. Did she care for Draco? Was she motherly towards him? Did she nurse him, change his nappies…" Hermione's mind was racing ahead.

"No. The house-elves did everything. She never once claimed him as her offspring in front of me; it was as if he wasn't even there."

"I need to speak to Narcissa Malfoy. If I'm right, this situation will take care of itself before you have to _actually_ kill me."

"Hermione," he said much more softly and tenderly than she could have ever given him credit for, "I would die before I laid a finger on you. You're safe with me."

She suddenly had a chill down her spine, as she remembered the dream of the previous night.

"I know. Can you arrange a meeting for me with Narcissa?"

He thought for a moment. "Lucius has gone away to stay in London until the trial; I heard him mention it last night. Presumably, he is going to line up as many supporters as he can torture into it to help him with Draco's defense. They're grasping at straws right now, even so much that they are willing to sacrifice their spy at Hogwarts if necessary to have you killed. They are flailing about, unsure of how to proceed, and resorting to old tricks; if you can't catch flies with honey, pull their wings off and poke their eyes out. Now will someone tell me about this Holy Spirit thing? Have you converted Albus to the Church, then, Sister?"

Albus lifted the letter off his desk and handed it to Severus. His eyebrows shot up at the part about Hermione's Protector and Companion, but he kept his reaction to himself.

"I will see to it that you meet with Narcissa. Dobby can help us out; he always loved her and felt sorry for her. She is a broken, fragile soul that puts on a mask of ice to get her through the day. What are you planning on saying to her?"

"I personally have nothing to say; I believe our kindred Spirits have much to discuss, however." At this cryptic response, she indicated that she was leaving to prepare for Ron and Harry's visit, and would return in a few minutes for tea.

*~*

"Severus?" Albus said.

"Oh, don't start with me. I know what you're thinking."

"It is okay to fall in love with her, you know."

"It most certainly is _not_. She's a nun, anyway. Don't they have a vow of celibacy?"

"I believe the Mother Superior has absolved her of that responsibility."

"I'll probably have passed into history before this thing is through. I don't see any way out of this without blowing my cover. She doesn't deserve to be tied to a dead man walking."

"Let her help you. Her power is growing stronger. You've seen what the love of a woman of the Order can do for protection; look at Harry."

"It wasn't enough to protect James and Lily, now was it?" He was feeling particularly bitter about things now that he had known that Lily had run away because of him. Two more deaths he could add to his running total, certainly.

"Voldemort was reduced to near-nothingness because of Lily and Harry's strength, and I'll tell you something you haven't heard. Voldemort is like Harry and Draco. He is a child of the Order, as well. His mother had the power of the Spirit as well."

Everything was crystal clear to Severus now. Why Voldemort needed Draco so badly; he needed his power, to be sure, but needed an ally who was also a child of the Order to be able to defeat Potter. Without that ally, Voldemort was doomed to the type of failure he had always known in his battles with Harry. Harry was stronger than either Draco or Voldemort alone, but the two of them together could and would destroy everything that was good. He realized what Hermione had in mind. Two witches of the Order fighting alongside Harry would easily defeat Voldemort and Draco; Hermione's goal was to convince Narcissa to turn against her husband. The Gryffindor part of her probably had some foolish notion of using Narcissa to turn Draco, as well, but that was a highly unlikely scenario. The girl had taken enough Arithmancy to know that the probabilities in that regard were extremely low.

He felt a swell of pride and, well, there was no getting around it. Adoration. Was this truly the schoolgirl with an inflated ego and sense of self-importance that stalked his horrid student nightmares only a few days prior? The girl could be a Slytherin, with all that was going on in her mind.

Suddenly, Ron and Harry appeared in the fireplace. "Still traveling by Floo, Mr. Weasley? Didn't pass your Apparation licensing, then?" Ron cringed as he looked into the face of his erstwhile Potions professor. Aaaah, that was better. He hadn't gone completely daft and taken leave of his senses; he could still terrorize these two idiots. "And Potter. About time you showed up to join this cozy party."

"Er…we got an owl only yesterday…" Ron looked positively green.

"Sit down, young men, and don't let Snape get to you," Albus said with a tiny smile. "Behave, Severus. Would you two care for a lemon drop?"

"Where's Hermione?" Harry said. 

"I daresay she'll be along shortly. Make yourselves comfortable, we have a lot to discuss."

As if they could ever be comfortable with the Great Snake of Slytherin glowering at them.

On cue, Hermione walked in and sat down right next to Snape. Harry looked at Ron, but they said nothing. Harry had been aware of the changed dynamic from the first moment that Hermione had returned from her few hours of self-imposed exile, but it was none the less shocking to see her sitting, apparently quite at ease, at the Potions Master's right hand.

"Harry," Albus began, "It is time that you knew the whole story of _why_ you are the most powerful wizard in our time." And he began to lay out the intricate details of the human lives intertwined with the divine that had led them all to this point; the inevitable final battle in the conflict between good and evil in the magical world. Ron sat quietly while his wheels turned, and Harry asked a question now and then. Hermione chimed in with a few details, and Snape didn't take any house points. 

Harry and Ron had known, of course, of Snape's activities. They had been part of late-night secret meetings where strategies were lain in place. Harry had been a part of a few things under cover of his cloak, and Ron was essential to everything as Harry's second, but more importantly as being the main strategist of the Light. Hardly anyone, including the Weasley family, had any idea how integral Ron's strategizing had been to get them to this point. Ron was possessed of a keen mind, and even Snape had grudgingly given him honor for his amazing work.

The rest of the world saw Ron as Harry's lackluster friend. Ron's secret was as well-protected as any in the wizarding world. The only clue anyone had was his amazing acumen at Wizard's Chess.

"There you go, then, Harry. You're Draco's much stronger counterpart, and now you know…the rest of the story." Albus peered intently at Harry over his glasses. "Anything else you wish to know?"

"Yes," Harry said glumly. "I'd like to know how the rest of this story plays out, because we're in for a nasty go of it and I'd like to get some of these variables under control. What if Narcissa says no? What if Lucius gets Draco off? And we're putting an awful lot of faith in the Pope here, are we English or not?"

"Harry," Hermione said, "the Pope has very little to do with this. You don't have to believe in this, but I know it's real. I can feel it. You wanted to know why I suddenly seemed more mature. The feminine Spirit made me this way in the same way she transformed your mother, so that I was no longer a young and frightened novice and instead was ready to do battle. There are variables; but you and I will be fighting together and should have Draco and Voldemort in a dead heat."

Ron interrupted. "The main variable is Narcissa Malfoy. If she agrees to help us, we win. If she runs to her old man and tells him, it's a checkmate, even if she doesn't lend her power to him, because they will know what we intend. Draco's power has been building for eighteen years rather than being used; for all we know, he has the strength to get out of Azkaban on his own. I find it difficult to believe that after all of this, that prison walls and dementors will hold Draco Malfoy. We have to proceed as if it's a guarantee that he will be fighting alongside Voldemort."

"There is a third possibility, Ron," Hermione said. Snape rolled his eyes, seeing the conversation get insultingly Gryffindor before his eyes. What does one expect when one is in a room full of them? "We may yet convince Draco to join us. Especially if we can convince Narcissa to come to our side, but even if we don't."

"Earth to Hermione! We're talking about your rapist. Isn't it unlikely that he would ever turn on his Death-Eating father and friends?" Ron was impatient with her ideas as usual.

Albus smiled. "He does not understand his power. He may do it just to stay out of Azkaban; he is very weak-willed, you know. If he knew what power he will be wielding, I'd be with you, Ron; but the cards are not down on the table just yet."

"We have work to do, Narcissa being our most immediate problem; if we can solve that variable, we'll know better how to proceed." Snape said. "I'm not inclined to wait. Let's get to it, and meet back here in a few hours. I don't anticipate being able to reach Narcissa right away, but I'll get on it, and I'll take Hermione to see her tonight if she'll agree."

Ron nodded; he was in his element, and began plotting scenarios on the work table in Dumbledore's office.

Hermione and Harry followed Snape to the dungeons. As Snape continued on to his office, the two best friends stopped at Hermione's rooms for a tour.

"Very, very nice. Hard to believe we walked by this place every single day, and never knew it was behind that portrait of Wendelin the Weird."

"Too true. Severus is right next door, though I've yet to see his rooms." He saw her eyes light for a moment when she mentioned his name.

"Oh, _Severus,_ is it? My goodness, Hermione, what a difference a few days make. Who the hell knew?" He was teasing her, but somewhat concerned about what he had heard earlier about the clear changes his friend was going through. Both Snape and Hermione were acting quite strangely around one another.

"I agreed to be his apprentice, and he requested we use first names. It's nothing more. Don't give me that look, damn you, Potter!" She punched him lightly, but he became serious.

"You're falling for that greasy git, aren't you?"

"I won't even dignify that…"

"Oh, I know when you are lying. Who knows you better than Ron and I do? Snape and you together? Well, after the events of the past few days, I'll grant that anything is possible. All bets are off now. He's become a decent man underneath all that Head-Of-Slytherin-Death-Eater nonsense, you know. I know that we regarded him with nothing less than contempt, suspicion, and malice when we were students here," he mentally noted: three days ago, "but I've worked with him on several projects pertaining to the war, as you know. He may be a mean little snake on the surface, but his word is gold. He's about the only person on earth other than Albus, Hagrid, myself and Ron that I know full well I can trust with your life."

Harry was giving permission too? She was definitely living in an alternate universe.

There was a knock at the door. Hermione opened the door to one of the last people she expected to be standing there.

Narcissa Malfoy.


	10. Chapter 10

Hermione and Harry remembered the cold, haughty woman from the Quidditch World Cup top box. This Narcissa was the same woman, but seemed about 20 years older rather than just four.

"Mrs. Malfoy. Please come in, and sit down. Severus worked very fast."

"Severus?" Narcissa looked very confused.

"Yes, I asked him to contact you for me; I didn't expect to be seeing you so soon, however."

"I haven't actually spoken to him in a year or two, though I have seen him much more recently. Be certain to give him my best, but I'm afraid I'm here quite of my own accord."

Harry stood and cleared his throat. "I'll just leave you two to talk then, shall I? It was lovely seeing you again, Mrs. Malfoy. I'll speak with you later, Hermione." He left the room, the door clicking shut on an uneasy silence between the two members of the Order of Benevolent Light.

"So, Sister Mary Rebecca. The last time I saw you, you were but a filthy little Muggle-born witch dirtying up the Top Box at the World Cup with the lowly Weasleys. Naturally I believed that I despised you, and your little friends. I was cowed and programmed, you see, into believing that pure blood was all that mattered, and playing Lucius' little games would keep me safe. I've stayed drunk and aloof out of terror and shame, but my son's…regrettable…actions have forced me to rethink my entire life. I've come to you as a Sister; whatever else you may feel for me, my son, or my husband, we are of one Spirit, and I need your strength to do what I must."

"Sister…Joan, is it not?" Hermione hadn't known Narcissa's Order name, but somehow it popped in her mind when she needed it. At her nod, Hermione continued. "Sister Joan. We share a bond that cannot be broken. I want you to feel as if you can confide anything to me, and then I have a question of you."

Narcissa placed her cold hands into Hermione's warm ones, gathering potency from her touch. Lucius would kill her on the spot if he knew what she was about to do, but she was protected now. There was finally another good, strong witch of the Order to help her, and she knew what they had to do.

"Sister Mary Rebecca. I have lived my life as a lie, not listening to my Spirit and running away from my duties and responsibilities as a member of the Order. As my Sister, I ask for your forgiveness, even though I have long been a part of a most dreadful charade that may well cost everyone I hold dear their lives."

Hermione pulled Narcissa to her, and felt the tears falling on her shoulders. Holding the older woman, the mother of her rapist and the wife to the most powerful wizard in Voldemort's organization, she begged her to continue.  
  
"Voldemort knows of Snape's deception. Last night at my home, he used a new, improved version of the _Imperius_ my husband has developed, that Severus was not able to resist. It cost Voldemort, Lucius, and Pettigrew dearly in energy as all three had to cast at once, but they received the reward of hearing from him once and for all that he had fallen these many years past into Dumbledore's camp and also was charged with protecting you. When they could no longer sustain the curse on Severus, they cast enough _Cruciatus_ on him to kill most men. They left him for dead in my basement. To make certain that Lucius would not kill Severus this morning, I administered a vial of Draught of Living Death to fool him."

Hermione gasped, but continued to hold Narcissa and stroke her hair soothingly. After a few moments, Narcissa continued, "Lucius left for London after verifying that Severus was – dead - to attempt to twist arms in the Ministry to get a light sentence for my son. I brought Severus here through one of the hidden tunnels, and left him at your door after casting _Ennervate_ to counteract the Living Death. I've been down at an old friend's home in Hogsmeade, debating suicide, as I'll surely be killed by my husband for my deception. He'd think no more of it than squashing a spider.

"My friend reminded me of my strength all those years ago before I was foolish enough to marry Lucius, and showed me not just the errors I'd made and the paths I should have chosen. He reminded me that I had a chance to help erase my mistakes. I am here to do that. I will do whatever you ask of me, Sister Mary Rebecca. I am your servant and Sister."

Hermione was in tears that the older woman had put so much trust in her. She could feel strongly through her Spirit connection that this wasn't a trick, or a ploy; she knew this woman almost better than she knew herself. 

"I ask two things. One: you are needed to help tip the balance in this war towards the light."

"Of course. I will be at your side. As will my very good friend in Hogsmeade; he was the path I should have chosen, and didn't, and have lived to regret it all my life."

Hermione knew. "Remus Lupin." No wonder he was so adamantly against the Dark; it had claimed the only woman he had ever loved. So much about Lupin made sense to her now that she had heard the story.

"Yes. My Spirit told me to forsake Lucius and marry Remus, and raise my child as a son of the Light rather than the Darkness. I was a weak, selfish woman who believed that I could live with Lucius despite his connections to Voldemort, and that money and comfort for my son were more important than love. I cannot live that way anymore. I've paid a terrible price for my foolishness, the world suffers as a result."

"That brings me to my second question. Can Draco be turned?"

Narcissa was not expecting this question, from the woman who had been brutally attacked by her son only a few short days before. "Turned? From his destiny? He was born and bred to be the heir of Voldemort; he follows in his father's footsteps. I did nothing to change that when he was a baby and a child; nothing at all." Fresh sobs caught in Narcissa's throat as she remembered the cold upbringing her baby had. She had made so many foolish decisions.

"So you don't believe we could convince him to turn against Voldemort? Perhaps by ensuring he won't to go Azkaban?"

"I don't even know my son. I cannot say. Pardon me for saying so, but you are very Gryffindor; the hat knew what it was doing in your case. You're trying to redeem the monster who raped you. I could not be so forgiving."

"Sister Joan, I assure you, I am not absolving him of his sins. I have just come to realize in the last day that I care more about the cause than myself. It took me only a few hours to realize that. Even though it has taken you eighteen years, you must see that in turning away you will achieve the kind of salvation that comes from living in the world rather than inside your head. It's time to stand and be counted. We'll leave your son as a variable in our plans, rather than writing him off, okay? But the most important thing is that you are with us." Narcissa nodded, wiping her eyes.

The door opened, and Albus, Severus, Remus, Harry, and Ron all stood in the doorway. "Welcome to the Light, Narcissa," Remus said.

*~*

"Tomorrow, at Draco's trial, will be our time to do battle." Ron displayed all his scenarios, including the Draco variable still outstanding, and continued in his role as Master Strategist. "Our greatest advantage, Narcissa, is that they do not know that you have joined us. Snape is going to lay low, and not answer the inevitable summons; they will assume he is dead, though one more source will help. You have a loyal house-elf that is willing to say that she disposed of Snape's body, yes?" At her nod, Ron went on. "Narcissa, you must act as if nothing has changed. Lie in your bed at Malfoy Manor and stay catatonic; Professor Snape has brewed a potion for you that will make you seem very drunk, even though you will be in full possession of your senses. Your husband will of course summon you to go to the trial; act as if you are granting him the hugest favor in the world, but make sure you are there. If he fails to invite you, you'll have to come alone, but it would be better if you were near your husband to disarm him when all hell breaks loose. Narcissa, we all know how much this could cost you. We trust you to draw upon your considerable strength to pull this off. We cannot succeed without you.

"All of our Gryffindor graduating class, plus my sister Ginny and my brothers Fred and George, will be there to keep an eye on any stray Slytherins that show up to attempt anything. They don't know the full story, but they have been apprised to keep wands at the ready; the Ministry is allowing them to keep their wands when they take everyone else's on the way into the trial. It pays to be a Weasley.

"Harry, you and I will be there with the rest of our classmates in a show of support for our Hermione. No one will suspect that we're there with ulterior motives since we're all tight anyway, right? One big happy Gryffindor family." Snape rolled his eyes, and Ron continued with an amused smile.

"Hermione, there will likely be Veritaserum administered. You won't be able to stop yourself from revealing our plans if you're asked. It's a weak point in the plan, but can't be helped. You can, however, tell less than the whole truth if pressed. We'll count on the defense not probing too far into your post-rape activities.

"We know from Narcissa's intelligence that Wormtail will be hiding in a corner in his Animagus form. Fortunately for us, we have a cat on staff who didn't mind being recalled from her intelligence mission. She'll keep the rat at bay, and he won't be able to do anything at all.

"Voldemort will be standing by to rush in at the time, as he cannot allow Draco to languish in Azkaban. He will be ready to level as many Unforgivables as he can, as will Lucius and the suddenly corporeal Wormtail. Though Wormtail won't be able to help, and neither will Lucius, because they'll both be neutralized. Voldemort will be standing alone; and Draco will still be a day away from his eighteenth birthday, unable to help. Even if by some miracle Voldemort could tap into his power, and we have to include that as a likely scenario, Narcissa is our wildcard; they won't see this coming, and they cannot muster enough power to overcome Narcissa, Hermione, and Harry working in tandem.

"Professor Snape and Professor Lupin will be hiding under Harry's and Dumbledore's invisibility cloaks. Professors, you'll have only a few seconds to hold Draco and let Narcissa give him the option of turning before he realizes that Voldemort is beaten. If he refuses, he gets Azkaban, and good riddance if you ask me to the stupid smirky git. Sorry Narcissa, sorry, old habits die very hard, and I don't share Hermione's inner bloody goodness. If he turns, and repents, he can join us in the final defeat of Voldemort and be on the right side for once in his miserable life.

"My calculations indicate that if the three of you cast _Petrificus Totalis _at the same time, the Ministry should be able to have Voldemort off to Azkaban in twenty minutes. If things go wrong, and only two of you are able, Snape, Remus and I will be able to combine to be the third and it should still work. As a final backup, my father will be completely briefed on the plan and will be at the ready. Albus will be there in case all else fails, though we would like him to remain safely out of the way given Voldemort's hatred for him, and basically every single person on the good side will have a wand and a role.

"Voldemort will no doubt be there under an invisibility charm of some kind. He doesn't have a cloak, which frankly astonishes me, but he is powerful enough to maintain an Invisibility Charm for the duration of the trial.

"Does everyone feel we have our bases covered, then?" Ron finished, and sat back expectantly.

Hermione's jaw was dropped to the floor. She had never seen Ron in action as a strategist, and was incredibly impressed. She reached over and hugged him tightly. "You're amazing, Ron."

"Oh, you're just figuring that out, huh?" He blushed a little, and hugged her back.

"Why aren't we killing Voldemort?" Narcissa asked. She had been around Lucius and the Death Eaters just a smidge too long.

"Narcissa, it's a valid question," Albus said, "but we aren't like them. Killing is a last resort. If we can capture him without killing him, we prove that we are the better side and the just choice. It will serve us well in the long run when our actions are recorded for posterity and people have to decide whether evil or good are the greater power in the universe."

"Weasley," Snape said curtly, as if it cost him dearly to speak. "50 points to Gryffindor."

"Only 50?" Harry laughed, and the group broke up to prepare for the next day.

*~*

Hermione, Ron, and Harry giggled like children in her rooms after dinner. "You and that BAT! I can't even fathom it." Harry had filled Ron in on the growing relationship between their Potions Master and Hermione. "And you, a bloody NUN! Oh, Ginny will have a field day with this…"

"You had better not breathe a word to Ginny about any of this. I'll have your head. And for your information, you two overgrown children, there is _nothing_ between me and Snape. I'm becoming his apprentice, and nothing more. Don't go starting rumours."

Harry snorted. "Too late!"

"You guys are taking this extremely well."

"Taking what well? Remember, you don't have a relationship." With that, Harry and Ron planted kisses on each of her cheeks and left the room.

"Oh, Crookshanks," Hermione said, "They really haven't changed a bit." She changed into her nightgown and brushed out her long thick hair, trying not to contemplate the intense desire to slip next door and proclaim her undying lust for Severus Snape. He certainly needed his rest after the events of the previous night and their all-day work session, and while she certainly intended to keep her inner Spirit happy, tonight was not the time.

Fortunately for this storyteller and you, dear readers, Severus was not under such delusions.

There was a soft knock at the door, as if he didn't want to wake her if she was asleep. She opened the door, silently watching him as he walked past her and into the room.

He paced back and forth, not looking up or speaking. She folded her arms, sat in a chair, and waited. And waited. And waited some more.

"Oh, blast it all, Severus. Spit it out."

"I'm ready to throw caution to the wind and take your lovely self to bed right here, right now. I want to make love to you all night and wake up happy and exhausted on what might potentially be our last day to live. And yet, I'm talking myself out of it. Excuse me if I'm not quite trusting myself to speak yet."

Stifling an inappropriate giggle, she settled for a small grin. "Talking yourself out of it? Whatever for?"

"Because you and I are under the influence of some idiotic spell which that…old bat…of a Mother Superior put on us. We're not acting of our own volition, and I won't become a slave to some ridiculous mumbo-jumbo primal female Spirit religious idiocy."

"Let me guess. You wouldn't sleep with a Gryffindor?" Oooh, she had scored. He was much angrier. Perhaps she wasn't actively aware of the connection to another Sister of hers, the Lily Evans that he had scorned too many years in the past, but the Sisterhood knew no boundaries of time. She knew he had said, or felt, something similar at one point in time.

"That's…not…the blasted point and you know it! I don't want you to want me because I'm some prize for your inner bloody Spirit! I don't want to crave your touch because some Irish hyper-female demigod is forcing the issue! How can we know what is real and what isn't? Three days ago you were a bloody know-it-all obnoxious little prat, and now I can't keep my mind off you. Heaven help me." His pacing resumed anew, and with more fury than before.

"Severus," she said evenly, "If you're so determined not to abandon yourself to me and my 'inner bloody Spirit', why are you even here?"

It was a fair question.

He sank into the chair opposite her, and stared at the fire. "I don't know."

"I'll be honest, then. You're the horrific professor that never, ever, acknowledged that I had any value until you thought I was gone for good. If I hadn't been raped by your student; if you hadn't been forced to find me and confront me, I'd be sipping tea at the Burrow and sharing pillow talk with Ginny Weasley, and you'd be miserable and brooding in your dungeon alone."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Things change, Severus. Just because you _were_ an insufferable, unapproachable, thoroughly biased Slytherin git that terrified all my friends a week ago; and I _was_ the obnoxious little schoolgirl who insisted on helping those who couldn't help themselves in such a hideously Gryffindor way; things change. Usually you get more warning, of course, but that doesn't mean the changes are any less valid. Look at Narcissa."

"You might have a point, but I can't trust that we're not just under some spell and we'll wake up tomorrow horrified and much more unhappy than we are now."

"Have you ever heard of faith, Severus?"

"Can you come to the point and spare me the flowery nonsense?"

"All right then. I'll come to the point." And she leaned over and kissed him before he could register surprise. "Stop talking this to death, and just feel. You deserve this and so do I. Let go."

He found he couldn't argue with her logic with her arms wrapped around his neck and her eyes inches from his, and suggested that her bedroom might be a more comfortable place to continue the discussion. As he tasted, felt, and memorized every inch of her beautiful body in the next several hours, he realized that he wasn't under any kind of spell at all. He was simply in love with her, and that was that. It might be insane and revolting and the polar opposite of what he had expected and deserved for this life, but there it was.

As for Hermione, she reserved judgment. Part of her held back on admitting "love", because that wasn't an emotion she had ever felt before, and she liked to analyze these things. Teenage crushes and kisses stolen in the Astronomy Tower were nothing like what she was experiencing now. She promised herself to just go with the incredible feelings that were washing over her. Later, as they held each other tightly after their passion was consummated multiply and beautifully, she stroked his hair until he fell asleep, and listened for her inner Spirit to explain things to her.

All parts of her soul were satisfied and ready for the next day. Her little inner slice of divinity was at peace. She knew with certainty that this was the right thing to have done; not because she needed him to protect her, or any other antiquated notion of having to have a male "complete" her, despite the Mother Superior's admonitions.

After everything that had happened to her, and would happen the next day, she needed to have something just for herself. Everyone was used to taking, taking, taking from her, but Severus gave. Very simply, of himself, gave her a gift that she wanted, that she needed. He asked for nothing in return but her pleasure, though she knew she'd given him plenty of that in return.

She thought about reconsidering her disbelief in God; because she knew she had seen a small piece of heaven here in the Hogwarts dungeons, and felt completely healed after the trauma that Draco had put her through. Sappy and sentimental? Of course, but after all as Severus was so fond of pointing out, she _was_ a Gryffindor.


	11. Chapter 11

Everyone had breakfast in the Great Hall except Narcissa, who was safely back at Malfoy Manor. In an ironic twist of fate, Lucius had given her the job of bringing Wormtail in her pocket. A surreptitious owl sent by a trusted house-elf let the assembled know that all was well on her end, and they all breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Harry and Ron kept winking at Hermione, but she wasn't giving them the satisfaction. Severus witnessed the whole juvenile thing, but said nothing at all, though if they were still students he'd have half a mind to assign detention. Albus watched the whole thing with amusement.

It was amazing, really, how lighthearted the mood was considering they would surely be battling for their lives in a couple of hours. If anything went wrong, people would die. If everything went wrong, the entire war would probably be lost before the battle even started. Voldemort's followers didn't have the restrictions on them that Albus placed; they could kill and maim with no moral compunctions.

At the Ministry, Arthur Weasley and Mad-Eye Moody stood outside the courtroom taking wands from the gallery as they entered. Naturally, each of the Gryffindors handed bogus wands from the Weasley twins' collection to them and kept walking. Each one of the graduated Gryffindors was there, and ready for anything. George, Fred, and Ginny Weasley also walked in together, sitting behind their compatriots in the second row of seats.

Lucius and Narcissa arrived with the lawyer for their son's defense, and were seated at the head table. Narcissa looked very out of it. 

Severus was crouched in an out-of-the-way corner of the room under the famed Potter Invisibility Cloak. Out of a corner of his eye, he could see a familiar tabby cat pounce on something and crouch low in the shadows. One obstacle down.

Voldemort was certainly in the room. He'd stake his life on it. But where? It was one of the variables, but he could feel the Dark Lord's presence. He just had to hope that the strong Obscuring charm that currently surrounded his Mark would stay in place until the trial was over. Having Lucius and the elder Goyle both present in the room would help with that. The Dark Lord couldn't feel individual marks, only the presence of one of his own nearby. The door would be warded after Draco entered to keep anyone from leaving, including anyone with an invisibility charm or cloak, so Voldemort could not kidnap Draco and leave without detection. And of course, Apparition would not work inside the Ministry.

Severus's eye fell on Hermione. He tried to squash down the tide of disgustingly romantic feelings that welled up inside him. Ludicrous. She looked particularly regal at the prosecutorial table flanked by Harry on her left and Ron on her right, and the lawyer that Dumbledore had retained. He was amazed at her strength and composure. She simply was not a child anymore; not that he'd doubted that fact after waking up in her arms this morning…

Fudge, the fat idiot, was nervously twittering around the judge. Stupid fool. _After this, I don't doubt you'll be replaced as Minister of Magic; you won't be able to deny Voldemort's existence when he's in your bloody prison, now will you?_

His eyes flickered to Albus. He nodded almost imperceptibly in Severus' direction. _Showing off his omnipotence again,_ Severus thought.

Then the doors opened, and Arthur Weasley and Mad-Eye Moody brought the prisoner in.

Draco looked very different than the self-possessed, simpering twit of a boy that had stalked the halls of Hogwarts only a week before. He was clearly nervous, and looking pleadingly at his father and mother. His father only looked away, but Narcissa continued to watch him blankly. Draco met her eyes, and something passed between them. Draco looked even more frightened, and faltered in his step. Moody put a hand under his elbow, and seated him between his mother and the lawyer.

The court was called to order, and a very large Sneakoscope was set up near the judge. It was a precaution; if it spun enough, the witnesses would be questioned with the help of Veritaserum. The Sneakoscope immediately began whirring and going crazy, and the judge rolled his eyes and ordered the Veritaserum brought in. Snape himself had prepared this batch, to ensure that foul play did not befall anyone in the trial, least of all Hermione. They all knew the Sneakoscope would have been useless here, since there were at least two Animagi, two crouched under Invisibility cloaks, and a team of Gryffindors with wands at the ready; a traitor to the Dark Side sitting calmly next to her evil husband, and two separate plots afoot to disrupt the proceedings. 

The Fat Lady was placed on the stand. Portraits couldn't lie, so this was easy. She testified to the events of the night in question, including the bruises and signs of physical distress Hermione had evidenced. Draco's lawyer tried to intimate first that she was drunk, and then that she was still rattled from the Sirius Black incident several years before. It was useless, though, because portraits were not capable of lying. It was a shame that there were no portraits in the room where Draco had dragged his victim, or this would have been over without much of a trial.

The Bloody Baron was next. Like portraits, ghosts were not capable of lying, which made them excellent witnesses. The Bloody Baron was able to testify that Draco was missing until 2:30, which was the same time that the Fat Lady had testified that Hermione had arrived in her dormitory. He also added the detail that Draco's hand was bloody; you see, the Bloody Baron, true to his name, was attracted to blood and could see it on anyone immediately.

Hermione was next, and testified in very graphic detail under Veritaserum. Snape shifted uncomfortably thinking of his lover being subjected to that idiot boy's sick ministrations against her will. He supposed the feelings he was having were his penance for having, when he was a young stupid Death Eater fresh in the fold, participated in a few revels and taken a few Muggles against their will. He'd done enough self-flagellation for one lifetime, according to Albus, but that didn't make him any more revolted at what he had been.

Half the courtroom held their breath, hoping that the defense attorney would not ask for details on where Hermione went after the rape, or what she had done since the rape. She would have a hard time not blowing their cover, and this was probably the most dangerous part of all the planning Ron had done. There had been no way to rig it so that Hermione received something other than Veritaserum on such short notice. Fortunately, the attorney wasn't concerned with those details; he knew he was defeated, and didn't press. Besides, the elder Malfoy had told him to get it overwith as quickly as possible, and he wasn't one to cross Lucius Malfoy.

Draco was next. He sniveled his way through his ridiculous rationale for raping and sodomizing the girl, and hesitantly admitted that he had used the _Cruciatus_ on her to confirm her account. He was doomed. Even with a good lawyer, the _Cruciatus_ alone would get you thirty years on a first offense if you were caught; rape was easily a 20 year-per-count offense. He was looking at life in Azkaban for a simple stupid night. He looked desperately at his mother, and saw something he had never seen in her eyes, not once in his entire life.

Love, and hope.

The Veritaserum must be having a worse effect on him than he thought. His mother never had cared, once, in his life, no matter how much he wished it. What had changed? He walked over to sit in his seat next to her, and await his sentence. He had never known fear as Lucius Malfoy's son, as the chosen heir to Voldemort's Dark Empire, to be coddled and protected. But, he realized, all he really wanted now was to crawl in his mother's lap and be told that it was all right, that the bad men could never hurt him.

It was an appalling revelation, but accurate nonetheless.

"I'll adjourn to consider my decision," the judge was saying. Lucius got up and walked behind the judge, apparently hoping to try a last-ditch plea for leniency. The lawyer got up to stretch his legs, and Hermione, Harry, and Ron sat perfectly still.

Snape silently watched Narcissa lean over to her son. "You can still escape this fate, my son."

"What do you care, you old hag? I know your life will be much easier without me to worry about. Oh, I forgot; you don't worry about me anyway."

"Stop, Draco. Just stop. There will be time for recriminations later. You _can_ save yourself, if you'll simply renounce your father and his Dark Lord. Just do that, and you will live."

"Why should I believe you? I have half a mind to believe that my father will rescue me, just as he always has, and I'm not worried about Azkaban."

"You're not as tough as all that, son. I'm merely giving you the option to do the right thing, to right the wrongs that you've perpetrated. I've let you believe for nearly eighteen years that you are your father's son. I'm here to tell you today, that you are not just Lucius Malfoy's son. You are _my_ son, and the power you possess comes from me, not your father." She was taking a calculated risk in exposing herself, and Draco could just as easily turn her in to his father now; Lucius would not think twice about murdering her in the struggle that she knew was coming.

He looked at his mother carefully, as if seeing her for the first time. "You never loved me."

"Son," she whispered, "I loved you too much to face what I had done. I made a horrible mistake that I'll be paying for for the rest of my life and I don't expect you to understand this now, but we both have a chance to break free. You'll not be remembered as a rapist and you'll not be a Death Eater if you will simply be _my_ son. Don't make a mistake here that you will regret the rest of your life. Follow my lead, my son, and _do the right thing_."

Before he could respond, Lucius rejoined them and the judge walked in. It was the moment of truth.


	12. Chapter 12

Draco Malfoy stood up as the judge walked in. Everyone stood up, of course, but Snape could see a war being fought in the young Mr. Malfoy's eyes. An interminable moment later, he saw Draco reach for his mother's hand. Draco leaned over to his lawyer and spoke. His lawyer's eyes opened wide, and he cleared his throat and motioned to Arthur Weasley.

Arthur walked over and the solicitor said something in a low voice. Arthur nodded, and walked to the judge. Words were exchanged, and the judge looked sternly at Malfoy's attorney.

"I've been told that in a most appalling, unprofessional set of circumstances, you've neglected to present the full defense."

"Er…some new…evidence, that I was unaware of, must be presented to give this man a fair trial. I beg the court's forgiveness, but I ask you to allow my client to take the stand again for further examination."

Snape nearly gave himself away with a gasp. This was highly irregular, and certainly not in Ron's planning. Was this a trick? The evidence was all out there, surely! He looked over at Hermione, who managed to keep her face impassive. Her companions, however, looked very upset, particularly Ron. He was so Gryffindor, after all; he hated to lose control over one of his scenarios.

The judge hesitated, but looked at both the defendant and the woman he had clearly wronged, and made a decision. "If there is new evidence, we should hear it. If the prosecution has no objections?"

Hermione's attorney looked over at her, and she shook her head and whispered, "It's all right, let's hear what Draco has to add. He cannot change the facts of what happened."

Her solicitor nodded. "No objections." Draco was led up to the stand.

The judge intoned, "You are still under the influence of Veritaserum for at least the next few hours, so we won't need to re-administer. Let's begin."

Draco's attorney was absolutely ill at the thought of what would happen to him when this trial was over. Everyone knew it was a bad idea to get on the wrong side of the Malfoy family, and he wasn't sure that this line of questioning wouldn't get him killed, or worse. Sighing audibly, he began. "Mr. Malfoy. On the night in question, did you have occasion to see your father?"

"Yes." There was a murmur in the courtroom, and the judge stilled everyone with a look.

"What was your father doing at Hogwarts?"

"My father and a companion wished to test a new version of the _Imperius_ curse. They've named it the _Insinuata Imperius_. It requires a tandem of curse and potion rather than a simple curse, and is designed to overcome those who know how to throw off _Imperius_."

"Do you know how to resist _Imperius_, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Yes."

"Did they use you for a test subject, then?"  
  
"Yes. My father and his associate administered the potion in a goblet of wine, and the two of them cast the _Insinuata_ on me. They had me do a few things, and then my father was satisfied that the curse would work; they intended on using it on Professor Snape to determine once and for all if he were a traitor. My father and his associate left me in my dorm room. As I went on my nightly rounds, assuming the test was over, I encountered my father's associate in the halls. He put me under the curse again. Apparently, the potion is very long-lasting; I did not fully recover from its effects until I was awaiting trial, and no one ever took the curse off me after he re-cast it. I was, effectively, under _Imperius_ for two days before I was finally able to fight it off. "

"Did you rape and torture Hermione Granger under the effects of the _Insinuata Imperius_?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you divulge this before?" Draco looked at his father's livid face, then at his mother's encouraging eyes, and frowned as if in pain. "I wasn't asked about the circumstances under which I made the decision. I have been protecting my father and his associate, and since you didn't directly ask me the question, I was not compelled to divulge the truth. My feelings towards this matter have changed and I wish to tell the whole truth."

"Was your father aware that you had been placed under the curse when you attacked Miss Granger?"

"I don't know. But he was not there when his associate re-cast the spell."

"What is the identity of his associate?"

Lucius jumped up out of his chair. "I need a moment with my son. IMMEDIATELY!!!" Lucius was panicked at this turn of events, especially knowing his boss was somewhere in the room. Why had he let this travesty go on so long?

"I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy," the judge said, "but you are out of order. Answer the question, son."

"Peter Pettigrew."

The court erupted in disbelieving and angry babbling, and the judge had a very difficult time regaining order. Ron leaned over and said something to Hermione's attorney, who nodded grimly. The judge asked the solicitors from both sides to approach.

"Isn't Pettigrew dead? Sirius Black…I'm very confused here." Draco's attorney had not expected any of this, and knew he was as good as dead at this point so he might as well see it through.

"Draco can't be lying. He's under veritaserum. Your Honor, I know this would really fall outside the boundaries of this particular trial, but we must know about Pettigrew; may I cross? With counsel's permission, of course." Draco's attorney nodded at Hermione's lawyer, and the judge decided to allow. Alastor Moody had both hands on Lucius's shoulders; Narcissa's only response was a very small, encouraging smile in her son's direction.

Snape could not understand why Voldemort had not attacked yet. He could only suppose it was because Lucius was surrounded and Pettigrew was out of commission; but Voldemort still had the element of surprise, or at least he thought so. Snape's best guess was that Voldemort was debating whether to kill Draco outright or attempt to kidnap him and punish him back into submission.

"Mr. Malfoy. You claim Peter Pettigrew is responsible for putting you under a modified _Imperius_ and forcing you to attack the plaintiff. Is this correct?"

"Yes."

"Do you have any idea why he would do such a thing?"

"I don't know his motives. You can speak to him yourself. He's in this courtroom now."

More gasps from the gallery, as spectators craned their necks around to determine the location of the "dead" man.

"Here…now? Could you indicate to the court where he is seated?"

Draco looked around for a minute, and saw Harry nod towards a far corner of the room. Draco's eyes lighted on a tabby holding a large, ugly, but very familiar rat in her jaws. The tabby walked into the middle of the room, and dropped her burden, holding his tail with one paw.

"He's right there. The rat. He's an Animagus."

_"Avada Kedavra"_, hissed a hideous voice from behind Snape, and one member of the courtroom crumpled to the floor before anyone could react.


	13. Chapter 13

Hermione cried out, and then leveled her cold fury in the location the green light had come from. Her wand was out instantly. "_Finite incantatem_!" The invisibility charm fell away.

Standing before in the courtroom was the hitherto "dead" form of Tom Riddle, the Dark Lord known eighteen years before to the wizarding world as Lord Voldemort, or more popularly He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or You-Know-Who. Of course, he most certainly was not dead, and a quick glance at Fudge confirmed that_ his_ worst nightmare was realized.

As Lucius Malfoy stood over the limp form of his wife lying prostrate on the floor, the victim of his Lord's curse, Voldemort leveled his wand on Hermione Granger. "Three Order bitches down, you filthy woman, and one to go. _Avada_…"

Snape and Lupin had both quickly tackled Voldemort bodily as he began the curse, and the rest of the Gryffindors piled on to hold him down. "_Expelliarmus_," Hermione said, and held Voldemort's wand in her left hand.

"I'm sorry, Tom, but you won't be murdering any more witches today," she said coldly. "I think you've killed quite enough."

"Lucius!" Voldemort yelled. Clearly, the Dark Lord expected his ally to do something, rather than allow him to be captured. 

Lucius looked at Voldemort. Then, he looked into Draco's eyes, and back down at his still, cold wife. It wasn't that he cared that much about Narcissa so much, but he could see on his son's face that the Dark that he had worked and lived for wasn't going to be the winner in this scenario. There was only one chance to redeem the situation and spare his son's life. He had spent his entire life in the service of evil, and he didn't know any other way to be. Better to die quickly, then live knowing you had backed the wrong horse.

"_Avada Kedavra_," Lucius said, pointing the wand at himself. He was instantly gone.

Draco crumpled in his seat, head in his hands.

Voldemort seemed rather unconcerned with this turn of events, being as he was unencumbered by sentimentality. "Wormtail, it's time for plan B." With that, the rat whose tail was firmly under McGonagall's paw became a man. A hush fell over the gallery.

Harry looked at Peter, and cleared his throat. "Peter. I let you live. You _owe me_. This is over. If you surrender, it won't be nearly as bad for you as if you do what he wants. I can promise you that, even though you are the scum that betrayed my parents. You've just cleared Sirius' name by showing yourself; now do the right thing, and help me destroy Voldemort."

Peter looked at Harry. "Wormtail," Voldemort said, "Kill the Mudblood bitch. Kill all of them. Quickly…"

"No." For the first time in his miserable life, he stood up and did the wise thing. He handed his wand to Draco Malfoy, and said, "Lord, this is between you, Malfoy, Potter, and Granger. I'm going to Azkaban, probably to die, but at least I will have discharged my very large debt to Mr. Potter. I'm finished running from my past, and I'm finished with you." And Peter Pettigrew sat on the floor to cry.

"Draco," Voldemort's voice betrayed the first signs of nervousness, "You don't have parents anymore. We can be great together, you and I, with the power we share. The enemy has _given you a wand_. Make your choice."

Draco didn't even hesitate. He raised his wand, and nodded to the prosecutorial table. Harry and Hermione pointed their wands at Voldemort and chanted in time with Draco, "_Petrificus totalis._" Just like that, it was over.

Fudge officiously began directing various Ministry personnel to summon Dementors and deal with the prisoners immediately. A long sigh escaped the assembled when it was clear the danger was past.

Hermione rushed to Narcissa and Lucius's side with Draco close at her heels. Remus Lupin sank to his knees next to Narcissa, cradling her head with silent tears. After all she had been through, and her final turn, this was incredibly unfair. As far as he was concerned, Lucius was no great loss, but Narcissa had at one time meant everything to him. While he was thrilled that Sirius would now be able to be a free man, the loss of Narcissa after he had finally brought her to the Light…

Hermione looked at Draco, and recoiled. "Draco, I know it wasn't your fault. I can forgive you of something over which you had no control. But I cannot ever, ever forget, do you understand that? I see your face, and I see a monster, and it will take time for me to get past that. You and I were both betrayed. You did the right thing today, Draco, and I will never forget that either. Your mother and I…we have a lot to explain to you, Draco, but now is not the time." Draco nodded, and solemnly looked at his parents on the floor. 

Hermione picked up both of her sister's hands and held them between hers, and closed her eyes.

The world bustled around the two women huddled on the floor; there were prisoners to take away, statements to make, a bunch of Gryffindors slapping each other on the back. Hermione frowned, and took Harry's hand and Draco's hand and placed them on Narcissa's head. "Both of you, look into yourselves, and think of your most inner Spirit. Guide it into your hands, and direct it towards Draco's mother. I can feel her still there; I believe she is not completely gone, and it's up to us to try and bring her back."

Hope dawned on Draco's face. The three of them silently held on to Narcissa's Spirit, willing it back to them. Snape watched them, wondering if this would work. No one had ever beaten Avada Kedavra except Harry Potter, and he was protected by the same Spirit that was at work in these three. Could this succeed? He found that he fervently hoped it would.

Lupin stroked her hair, and spoke to her. "Narcissa, come back to me. Come back and live. You've served justice and your sins will be forgiven. Your son is here, and those who love you are right here. You have not finished your life's work. _Come back_."

At length, her eyes fluttered open. "Draco? Remus? What happened?"

Draco hugged his mother, probably for the first time in his life. "It's going to be all right, Mother. We're going to be okay."


	14. Chapter 14

Hermione sat on a stool in a lab off the potions classroom, carefully adding wormwood extract a drop at a time to an infusion of newt toenails and henna. It was an exacting process; add it too quickly, the liquid would turn green and be useless; add it too slowly, the mixture would become unstable and very likely blow up. Severus normally had her do this part, because her hands were much steadier; she hadn't had years of _Cruciatus_ to make them shaky, as his could sometimes be.

As she finished, she saw the base for the anti-_Cruciatus_ potion take on the deep crimson of success. There were still many steps ahead, but the worst was over. Now just time and ingredients would take care of their latest creation, hopefully ready for testing within the next few weeks. Of course, the potion would still be needed, with renegade Death Eaters still around making mischief and hoping that another Dark Lord could rise and lead them. Voldemort had the Kiss administered, and was living out what remained of his mortal life in solitary. 

Harry and Sirius had requested that Pettigrew be given life in Azkaban, rather than the Kiss. Everyone thought it was quite generous of the two of them, but as Dumbledore had said, it was important to prove that they were better than those who would have killed them.

Draco had been remanded into his mother's care after a month's stay in Azkaban. Though they had determined that he was not responsible for his actions in the incident with Hermione, he was responsible for not disclosing his father's and Wormtail's actions, which amounted to perjury by omission. Hermione argued for the slap on the wrist rather than the five years they could have given, because as difficult as it was getting over what had been done to her, she could more easily blame it on Wormtail and Voldemort knowing Draco had only been an instrument of their depraved plans. They still could not be in the room with one another without causing each other heartache, but they hoped time would heal the wounds. Hermione intended to stay close to Narcissa, and therefore would need to get along with her son.

Severus had been uncharacteristically quiet with nearly everyone. Some days went by without hearing him utter a single word. Other days, when he did speak, he was curt and could be fairly unpleasant. Lupin and Black had taken to dragging him out of an odd evening to the Three Broomsticks, but they studiously avoided bringing up the recent past, hoping Snape would take a hint and bring it up himself. They'd so far been disappointed.

Hermione and Severus were hard at work on their anti-Unforgivable potions. It had been a month since they had made love together the night before the trial, and neither of them had spoken of it. They were detached and professional with each other and each pretended it hadn't happened. Naturally, it was driving everyone around them up the wall. They were both being extremely stubborn about things.

"Hermione," Harry had said, "You didn't just fall in love because of the circumstances or the God thing or whatever was going on. I know you. You are in love with him, and you're being even more pigheaded than usual about this. Just admit it."

"I don't see him knocking at my door. Come on, Harry, he and I were not meant to be. I was under severe emotional duress and he helped me through, but we both know what it was. He felt sorry for me. I'm content to leave it at that, really. Really! Don't give me that look."

"You're wrong, you know. You're both so bloody stubborn. You're mooning as badly as anyone. You need to just talk to him."

"I need to have some normalcy and safety in my life. I thought he was it, but now I think I was mistaken. I mistook what the Spirit was saying, I'm sure of it."

On the flip side, a few days later, Remus Lupin had been laboring with Severus over drinks at the Three Broomsticks.

"You old idiot. Even I can see that you're in love with her, and she with you, and I wasn't even THERE when this all was happening. Your eyes light when she's in the room, and that's saying a lot for you. You're somewhat less nasty, and…"

"It's the fact that Voldemort is gone, and nothing more."

"That's bullshit, my friend."

"I am _not_ your friend. Or yours, either," Snape said to Sirius Black as he slid into the third seat at the table.

"Have another whisky, Snape. On me." Sirius motioned to Madam Rosmerta, who came over with the drinks and patted Snape on the arm. "Stop being a prat, Professor Snape. Listen to these two boys."

"The last time I listened to these two, I nearly ended up dead."

"Are you still going on about that, then?" Sirius rolled his eyes. "It's been twenty years."

"I hold grudges well."

"You're a bloody stupid git, is what you are. Tell her you love her, no matter what has happened or will happen. The two of you are rationalizing this away as if you could just fall in and out of love like you take off old socks. She's as bad as you are about this; Harry couldn't get her to stop saying the same crap you are spouting."

"Oh, sod off Black," Snape said. Then, before he could think better of it, he said, "Harry talked to her about it?"

"Oh, the iceman cometh," Lupin said. "She's doing the same thing you are. The two of you need to get out of that bloody lab and sit down and TALK about this. She thinks you were just comforting her because she was hurt and that you could never love her, and she's terribly embarrassed about her feelings for you." Sure, he was giving away her secrets, but at this point they'd all do anything to see Hermione happy – even get her together once and for all with this nutter. 

"This isn't her fault. Gryffindor of her, always seeing the best in others and the worst in herself."

"You need to explain that to her. I dare you. I just don't want to see you make the same mistake I made with Narcissa years ago, and dare I say it, the same mistake you made with Lily all those years ago, though of course we think it was a brilliant mistake on your part. Joking, joking, don't give me that look. Don't let your pride get in the way of love."

"Sod off." Snape refused to say another word about it, sipping his whisky in silence.

*~*

"Hermione?" Severus stood in the doorway, watching her as she finished putting away the supplies she had used to create the base for the potion.

"Yes?" Damn him for being so sexy. If only she could get him out of her system once and for all! Her Spirit had been rather quiet on the topic. She had written to the Mother Superior in frustration about this, and the Mother had written her that the Spirit's power within her had been so deeply used in reviving Narcissa, that it would be weeks of regeneration before she could expect to hear its words in her everyday life. She wasn't necessarily on her own, but the Spirit's guidance was meager at best right now. After all that had happened, she did not trust herself or her emotions anymore. She couldn't sort out the difference between pain, anger, and love, and her simple exhaustion with the entire process wasn't helping her at all.

"I…need…can we walk to the lake? I need to get a few ingredients that are currently in season that we're a bit low on."

She knew this was just a flat lie as they weren't close to out of anything in the stores that were her responsibility to keep well-stocked. 

Dare she hope? No, no, no. She couldn't go there again. The pain was too great to bear as it was.

"Certainly, let me just wash up and change. I'll meet you at the door." With butterflies stubbornly taking up residence in her stomach, she changed into a short sundress and brushed her hair out of the clip that had been holding it all day. Meeting him at the door, they walked out into the fading sunlight of late afternoon and towards the lake in silence.

This was almost more difficult than watching her take on Voldemort. "Hermione," he began, "can we sit down here for a second. I need to talk to you." She nodded, and looked at him expectantly after they were seated on a fallen tree near the edge of the water.

"I have reason to believe that you think that I…that we were together…that night because I felt sorry for you."

"Yes." She was going to throttle Harry, but there was no point in lying to Severus. She owed him the truth.

"Do you really believe that? Knowing me as you do, don't you think you're ascribing a Gryffindor sensibility to me that simply cannot exist? You are clearly mistaking me for a sentimental, foolish man who would fall for the 'knight in shining armor' routine. You should know me better than that, if nothing else."

She was taken aback, and her temper flared. "Oh, yes, I have it all wrong. You're a Slytherin, and therefore were only in this for yourself. You didn't care at all, just saw an opportunity and used it to your advantage. Am I close?"

His anger was rising as well, because she had deliberately misunderstood him, and was forcing his hand. Perhaps she was a Slytherin at heart after all. "You are not even in the same country, you're so far away. You can throw me away like rubbish, but you _will_ hear me out before we go back to the dungeons and the rest of our lives. You and I have been through too much in too short a time, and we're both shellshocked and angry and scared and we both refuse to lay ourselves bare again. Is any of this sounding familiar? I am going to say this only once, and then you are perfectly within your rights to walk away and pretend that I am simply your Potions Master and you are my apprentice and that's the end of it. But I _am_ going to say it, if only so those idiotic friends of yours will get off my back about this.

I love you, Hermione Granger. I will never stop loving you, no matter what you say or do to try and change my mind. Now, you have no clue how much that admission has cost me, so stop gaping and either say something or let me go and gather my ingredients and live the rest of my life in peace."

She couldn't stop gaping. This wasn't quite what she anticipated. 

Suddenly, she heard a voice as if from far away. Her Spirit was mustering energy to speak to her, and she only had one thing to say.   
  
_Kiss him, damn you, and don't you dare drive him away._

Who was she to question God? She took his hands, staring at them as if she had never seen them before, and kissed both his palms. His eyes closed, savoring the feel of her lips on his skin. She leaned in close, taking him into her arms, and kissed him. As their kiss deepened and became more passionate, she realized something that she hadn't quite had a handle on when they were together before. 

She loved him.

How had she not grasped this before? Perhaps, she mused, she'd been so dependent on her Spirit to guide her, that she hadn't heard her own voice. 

She broke the kiss, and looked searchingly into his eyes. He returned her gaze. "Severus, I…I have been really, really stupid and stubborn and I am so, so sorry. I was trying very hard to give you an out of our relationship; I assumed you wanted that, and I couldn't muddle through what…"

"Don't apologize. I've been an idiot, too, and don't have an excuse. I'm not used to caring about anyone, Hermione, and I've been quite stupid about it. I had a life where I cared about no one, felt a lot of pain and not much joy. I've spent an entire lifetime convincing myself that I deserve nothing more. It may take some doing to wake up in the morning and know that this is real."

"You'll find this quite insultingly Gryffindor, I'm certain, but you deserve the best of everything."

"And you're the best of everything, then?" A teasing tone that had been missing for a month was back in his voice, as he laced his hands in hers.

"Of course. Now I think we should go back to the dungeons and…um…talk some more, don't you?"

Standing at a window high in the castle, Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore watched the two walk back hand-in-hand. "Ah, young love…" Albus said, "I think we have a few owls to send, Minerva."

*~*

TO BE CONTINUED… 

A/N Thanks to everyone who reviewed and emailed, you're the best! I've had a request for a more expanded version of Sev and Hermione's first love scene. I've never written "juicy parts" before, but I'll give it a shot and post the addendum somewhere other than ff.net.

A/N 2 Real life is about to get very busy, but I intend to write a sequel to this fic soon! There's a lot more to the story with the Spirit and her wacky influences in the lives of our characters, and don't for a moment think that just because Moldy Voldy's been Kissed, that evil is defeated in the WW. :::cackles:::


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